West 8th Street - NY Aquarium Subway Station – Brooklyn, New York - Atlas Obscura
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West 8th Street - NY Aquarium Subway Station

Brooklyn, New York

New York's southernmost subway station is whimsically wavy. 

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West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium. The All-Nite Images/cc by-sa 2.0
West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium. The All-Nite Images/cc by-sa 2.0
The view of Coney Island from the top level. tylercole (Atlas Obscura User)
West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium. Harrison Leong/cc by-sa 4.0
West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium. leiladelvalle (Atlas Obscura User)
West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium. leiladelvalle (Atlas Obscura User)
West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium. icatsstaci (Atlas Obscura User)
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This isn’t your typical grungy subway stop. Its fluid, wave-like structure adds a splash of architectural flair to the station and hints at the destination it services.

The West 8th Street - NY Aquarium subway station’s wavy addition, which is called Wavewall, was created in 2005 by Vito Acconci. It was part of the MTA Arts for Transit program.

The unusual design fits the station’s watery locale. It deposits passengers in Coney Island, a beachy stretch of Brooklyn famous for its amusement park and other seaside attractions. The subway station also serves the New York Aquarium, making its whimsically wavy features even more appropriate.

The station isn’t just aesthetically intriguing. It boasts its own geographic title as well, as it’s the southernmost station in the entire New York City subway system.

Know Before You Go

It's accessible via the F and Q trains. If you're going to Coney Island for the day via the Q or F, get off here and walk down to the amusements. Stop at the balcony on the lower level for excellent views of Coney Island.

subways urban planning transportation architectural oddities architecture
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