Eight London Underground Restrooms Get Vibrant Refurbs with Illustrated Tiles

The City of Westminster hosts about 25 million tourists annually, and many residents and professionals also pass through central London daily, relying heavily on the Underground. Early Underground stations from the Victorian era incorporated arched details and tile work that remains visible today, often with later additions reflecting London’s history and culture. Baker Street opened in 1863 and features decorated tiles with a Sherlock Holmes silhouette. Tile designs appear across the system, including Leslie Green’s deep red tile facades and relief tiles at Bethnal Green. Hugh Broughton Architects is redesigning restrooms at eight stations to meet demand for public toilets, reduce maintenance and antisocial behavior issues, and provide inclusive, high-quality, accessible facilities.

"When the Victorians established the first underground train network in the mid-to-late 1800s, they incorporated arched details and tile work that is preserved today, often augmented with contemporary nods to the city's history and culture. Opened in 1863 along the Metropolitan Line, Baker Street is one of the oldest stations. In a design convention seen throughout the Underground, decorated tiles added later feature a silhouette of Sherlock Holmes-a tribute to the character's fictional address on the station's titular street."

"Tile designs are richly embedded throughout the system. An architect named Leslie Green is known for a slew of deep red tile facades on more than a dozen central stations. Some interiors are covered practically top to bottom with the material, with the location names and "Way Out" signs made entirely from ceramic. Bethnal Green station features fantastic relief tiles of London icons, and a few years ago, a design student named Jeffrey Miller even repurposed the Tube's own waste into Art Nouveau-style tiles modeled on historic versions."

"Hugh Broughton Architects' redesign continues this tradition, but it also serves the practical purpose of making these spaces safer, more inclusive, and more accessible. "There is a clear demand for public toilets across London, and many councils struggle with the costs surrounding maintenance and issues around antisocial behaviour," says a statement. "To address this issue, the council is creating a series of inclusive facilities that demonstrate high-quality design and enshrine as much civi"

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