A decade after every London Underground station gained a Labyrinth, the two newest stations that didn’t exist at the time have joined the rest.
Mark Wallinger at Battersea Power Station (c) ianVisits
Earlier this morning, Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms stations both unveiled new custom designed Labyrinths with local references in their designs.
The original commission, by the artist Mark Wallinger, was in part to mark the London Underground’s 150th anniversary, and these two newest additions have been timed to arrive during the Underground’s 160th anniversary.
There were 270 differently designed labyrinths installed in 2013, and each is numbered according to its order in the route the contestants took in the 2009 Guinness World Record Tube Challenge.
With two more labyrinths being added, you’d expect them to be numbered 271 and 272, but they’re not. In a nod to the Battersea extension branching off from Kennington station — the location of the 110th labyrinth — the new labyrinths have been numbered 110a and 110b out of 270.
Nine Elms (110a) is based on the embossed family of labyrinths, with nine concentric circles to hint at the station’s name. Battersea Power Station (110b) has a four-cornered structure within the circular outline, a nod to the location’s famous four-chimney landmark.
The artist, Mark Wallinger, said this morning that it’s been good to add the labyrinths to the two newest stations, as it retains the integrity of the original art project, which was to have a labyrinth in every tube station.
It’s been a completist ambition achieved.
Unveiling the Nine Elms labyrinth (c) ianVisits
The new Labyrinths are located in each station’s ticket hall and are now on permanent display. The Battersea Power Station one is on the public side of the ticket barriers, whereas the Nine Elms one is on the paid side.
The artist Mark Wallinger, said: ‘‘I am delighted and thrilled to have been given the opportunity to use the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the unveiling of the original Labyrinths to create two new ones. The work was conceived as a celebration of the world’s greatest connective and welcoming public transport network. So I am immensely proud to be able to complete their presence across the network, and celebrate the underground’s reach through Nine Elms to the iconic Battersea Power Station, beloved by all Londoners.”
During the unveiling this morning, it was noticed that the slightly embossed enamel plates had created a pleasing effect behind the black covering sheet – such that it was almost a shame to remove the black sheet to reveal the labyrinth beneath.
The labyrinth concealed (c) ianVisits
Labyrinth completists now have two more to add to their collection, and pub quiz writers have a question to add to their repertoire.
“There are 272 labyrinths on the London Underground, but which two are NOT numbered after the route of a 2009 Guinness World Record attempt?”
Close up to the cover sheet showing the embossing underneath (c) ianVisits
A last minute clean (c) ianVisits
Coincidental, but Nine Elms platforms have a pattern that mirrors the labyrinth (c) ianVisits
Unfortunately, my labyrinth completist ambitions have been thwarted in recent times – and I didn’t start ticking them until long after the original event – by the fact that at least one is missing. The one at Bow Road got nicked. TfL did tell me that they would be commissioning another but last time i looked, admittedly a few months ago, there was no sign of a replacement having been installed.
I live near Bow Road and have been wondering and frustrated by the labyrinth’s absence for ages! So annoying to be missing a station I live near so thanks for the explanation (saves me contacting TfL). Hopefully they put a new one in and we’ll all be happy!
The Kennington labyrinth is number 110, rather than 100.
I completed all the Labyrinths a couple months ago, and the Bow Road one is still missing, apparently stolen, according to a friendly staff member there who must get asked about it a lot. The new numbering of 110a and 110b is slightly strange, I must say, but I guess there was no other option.
‘Labyrinth’ so much more impressive than ‘maze’..
Definition courtesy of English Heritage:
“The difference between mazes and labyrinths is that labyrinths (unicursal) have a single continuous path which leads to the centre, and as long as you keep going forward, you will get there eventually.
Mazes (multicursal) have multiple paths which branch off and will not necessarily lead to the centre.”
I see West Ashfield is also missing one!
The Bow Road one has now been replaced
Rex – thanks for the update. That’s excellent news. When I learned about the two new ones I did wonder whether TfL might taken the opportunity to have a replacement made for Bow Road too.
seeing as i was one of the creators of the route its amazing how the current record took 4hours extra just to visit 2 stations
I’m now curious about when the accompanying Minotaurs will be deployed. I assume they were delayed by COVID prevention measures, and possibly by an increase in TFL staffing just as they closed lots of ticket offices being thought tactless…
It’s a shame so many labyrinths are hidden by notice boards at the stations. I had to move 3 notice boards to photograph the labyrinth on the Metropolitan line