When the most recent extension of Sydney Metro opened back in August 2024, Sydneysiders went a little wild – stoked not just by the speed of the new transport network, but by its aesthetic appeal. Ascending the escalator at Martin Place beneath the alien-like sculpture suspended in the ceiling, or following the golden footprints along the wall at Waterloo, it’s easy to convince yourself that you’re in an art gallery rather than a train station. All that's to say – it’s no surprise that one of our city’s shiny new stations has been recognised for its beauty on the global stage.
A subterranean symphony of sandstone and steel hiding beneath Sydney’s CBD, Gadigal Station is a stunner – with the Prix Versailles just naming it one of the World’s Most Beautiful Passenger Stations for 2025
The Prix Versailles, an international design prize celebrating innovation, sustainability and cultural impact, praised Gadigal Station as the “epitome of absolute modernity”. From the six colossal columns rising from Park Street – each one 25 metres tall and weighing 168 tonnes – to the 1,700 sandstone wall panels lining the escalator shafts (sourced from the NSW Central Coast), the design is a colourful but considered ode to Country.
With accessibility in mind (Sydney Metro is Australia’s first fully-accessible railway), the design also champions accessibility and functionality, with platform screen doors, custom aluminium panels that optimise acoustics, and Australian spotted gum benches offering a touch of organic warmth amid the futuristic polish.
Then there’s the art. At both entrances, Callum Morton’s The Underneath injects a hit of colour into the station’s minimalist palette. The bold tiled installation, made up of 10,000 enamel tiles, stretches 13 metres high and channels a kind of playful, Looney Tunes energy.
Above ground, Gadigal Station anchors two 29-storey towers – the glassy Parkline Place office building and Sydney’s first build-to-rent residential tower, home to 234 apartments.
Importantly, the station’s name pays tribute to the Gadigal People, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which it sits – a gesture the Prix Versailles panel singled out for recognition.
Now, Gadigal Station joins six other global stations in the running for one of three coveted world titles (Prix Versailles, Interior or Exterior), to be announced on December 4.
Prix Versailles World’s Most Beautiful Passenger Stations 2025:
- Gadigal Station (Sydney, Australia)
- Mons Station (Mons, Belgium)
- Baiyun Station (Guangzhou, China)
- Saint-Denis – Pleyel Station (Saint-Denis, France)
- Villejuif – Gustave Roussy Station (Villejuif, France)
- Qasr Al Hokm Station (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
- KAFD Station (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
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