Maida Vale Underground Station

TQ 2582 NE ELGIN AVENUE W9 (South side) 1900/20/1 Maida vale Underground Station

26.03.87 II

Underground railway station. 1914-15, probably by Stanley Heaps, but in the idiom established by his predecessor Leslie W Green. Red glazed faience. Roof not visible. 1 storey. 3 main bays to Elgin Avenue, 2 on the right hand return. Each bay with segmental arched 3-part window, mullioned and transomed. Bays separated by pilaster strips with inset semi-circular pediments at arch level. Lattice glazing. Modillion cornice and beneath words "Maida Vale Underground Station" with enlarged "U" and "D" either side of distinctive banding. "Entrance" and "Exit" in original tilework.

The interior is particularly complete and handsome. Stairs with iron balustrading lead down through double-height entrance hall, which has tiled pilasters and surrounds. Modillion cornice band incorporates two mosaic roundels, bearing UndergrounD sign, a reminder of the original solid red roundel once found throughout the system but which is now rare. The lower part of the hall is fully tiled in cream and green, with pedimented ticket desks, and areas of chequer tiling in the inner hall. This chequer tiling continues as poster surrounds to the upper escalator hall. Below this escalators descend to tiled lower escalator hall with clock, where hanging illuminated signs direct passengers to the platforms to either side. These are fully tiled at either end, with tiled pilasters and poster signs in between. The south tunnel entrances have voussoir surrounds. Maida Vale is a late and particularly complete example of a Leslie Green style station for the Underground Electric Railways Company of London.

Sources Laurence Menear, London's Underground Stations, 1985 David Lawrence, Underground Architecture, 1994

Listing NGR: TQ2594482777