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Train Station’s Old Wooden Escalators Are Turn Into Magical Sculpture–And We’re Mesmerized

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It seems like escalators are only something that have been around since, like, the ‘70s, and that they would be made of plastic or metal, but no, they’re much older and you can apparently make them out of wood. Among the oldest — and most beautiful — wooden escalators in the world are the ones at the Wynard station in Sydney, Australia. For eight decades now, commuters going into and out of the subway have used a set of four wooden escalators. Well, they did until 2015, when the station started phasing them in out in favor of new ones.

So what to do with the artistically and historically significant wooden escalators? The stations took them out of the ground and put them on the ceiling. The result: Interloop: 244 treads from the old system to create unbelievable, seemingly gravity-defying, works of whimsical sculpture by an artist named Chris Fox.

Sydney residents were more than a little worried about what would happen to the local moving landmarks, but by and large, Wynard officials seem to have done exactly the right thing with the wooden moving staircases.

Amazing on many levels (pun intended)

thank you so much! incredibly impressive piece

Fabulous! Someone understands the importance of our memories of those beautiful wooded escalators. Thank you.

https://twitter.com/nevereverDave/status/937683816008814598

Fabulous idea to link the past with the now.

After a recent trip to Stockholm where nearly every metro station is filled with artwork, it’s great to see that Sydney is also offering commuters something special to brighten up their journeys!