Unless you are a) a long-tailed rodent on a mad quest for cheese or b) attempting to recreate '80s horror movies, hanging around in a desolate subway tunnel probably isn’t your idea of a good time. But what if the Tremont Street subway tunnel, abandoned since the 1960s but once an operational link between the Boylston Street Station and the South End (evidently they didn’t foresee where foodie trends would take us), was turned into a subterranean social space with art galleries and interactive theaters? Well, we might be willing to get our hands dirty for that.
Such an underground art space is only a pipe dream, but it was recently named the winning idea in a competition sponsored by SHIFTboston, an architect-founded initiative that united artists, designers, landscapers, and others to showcase radical, innovative approaches in urban planning and public-space design. The finalists were presented at a special January forum at the ICA (read more about it here), and Arlington winner S. Ng, who titled the design The TUTS (Tremont Underground Theater Space) will receive a cash prize and see the schematics posted for public appreciation on spots like billboards and bus stops.
To check out the runner-ups, honorable mention, and other top finalist ideas — which include everything from a City Hall makeover to a rerouted Marathon that extends through Boston Harbor on floating boardwalks — visit the SHIFTboston website. Warning: Perusal may result in an overwhelming sense of humdrum on your comparatively mundane evening commute.
