thibault drutel captures the symmetry of european metro stations

Thibault Drutel frames european metro stations with his lens

With Symmetric Subway, French photographer Thibault Drutel embarks on a visually precise and unexpectedly poetic journey through the underground arteries of Europe. His photographic series, captured across numerous subway systems, transforms transit spaces, normally associated with speed, stress, and anonymity, into studies of form, light, and balance. Focusing on the overlooked symmetry of metro platforms and tunnels, Drutel reframes these utilitarian environments as architectural stage sets where geometry and motion subtly align.

The series spans a diverse visual spectrum, from the brutalist vastness of Eastern Bloc infrastructures to the sleek minimalism of Scandinavian platforms and the retro-futuristic accents of Central European systems. Each image reveals the architectural intentionality that often goes unnoticed in the blur of daily commutes. Drutel’s lens lingers on mirrored surfaces, repeated patterns, and vanishing points, highlighting the quiet discipline embedded in metro design across cultural and political borders. ‘What attracted me to subways around Europe was the diversity of their visual language. Each city takes a different approach to underground architecture, mixing brutalism, futurism, minimalism, or unexpected ornamentation,’ shares the photographer.

Munich | all images courtesy of Thibault Drutel

Symmetric Subway chases still moments in a moving system

Beyond symmetry as a visual motif, the Strasbourg-based photographer Thibault Drutel is after the moment of stillness within a system engineered for movement. Shot across metro stations in Munich, Stockholm, Berlin, Hamburg, and Brussels, his photographs are captured at that elusive intersection of calm and chaos. This precision, as he notes, requires both technical control and meditative patience, as he waits for the perfect alignment of architecture, light, and human activity. ‘Architecture is, to me, a form of silent storytelling. It reflects intention, function, and culture – but it’s usually overlooked in the rush of daily life,’ notes the artist. ‘Through photography, I try to freeze those fleeting moments when space, light, and movement align. In this series, I’m especially drawn to the intersection of stillness and motion – the brief instant when a train slices through a static frame, adding life to an otherwise controlled composition.’

Stockholm