This picture on the wall at Harrow & Wealdstone station, I’d always assumed was something to do with station operations or passenger safety. It’s mounted next to the waiting room, but sits between a fire hydrant and a help point for emergencies and information, so I never really questioned it.
It wasn’t until I Googled it today that I discovered it is actually a permanent public artwork. The piece is one of Mark Wallinger’s Labyrinth artworks, commissioned by Transport for London in 2013 to mark the 150th anniversary of the London Underground. Every Tube station received its own unique labyrinth design, and the number 43/270 identifies Harrow & Wealdstone’s place in the series.
I like the fact that something I’d dismissed as a practical railway feature turned out to be a carefully considered piece of public art. A labyrinth, after all, is a fitting symbol of journeys and navigation.
