Theodore+Muir2

= South Station: Gateway to Boston =

The waiting area for the South Station commuter rail and Amtrak service, known as “The Great Room”, lies just on the other side of a glass wall from the tracks so that it is possible to observe the arrival and departure of trains from indoors. The room itself is expansive and during peak hours very crowded. While the room has the ability to hold a large number of people, those occupying the station are located as though they had been plotted from a spirograph with the central focus being in the very middle of the room and then begin to trickle outwards. The large gathering in the center is a product of the schedule board hung from the ceiling that is updated with the tracks of soon to board trains. There are three wooden benches towards the left side wall when facing the tracks, but you will have to be quick to steal a seat. The room itself is in the shape of a regular trapezoid with very dull colors; the walls and ceilings are grey and the floor has patterns of triangles of light and dark grey with some mahogany outlining. The color scheme works nicely to accentuate the hanging iPod advertisements (typically known for their vibrant colors) and various shops scattered around the floor. The shops include a newsstand, book store, bakery, smoothie shop, au bon pain, and an Auntie Anne’s. The kiosks are actually a clever disguise for ventilation shafts in the floor. A food court is also located in an adjacent room with some of the fast food restaurants windows showing into the waiting area. There are a few tables in the waiting area with chairs, but not nearly enough to accommodate all the passengers who would be waiting. In a large room occupied by a large number of people the voices jumble together creating a dull roar of incoherence over the sound of rolling luggage and rustling of metal chairs. The majority of those talking are on cell phones; probably conversating about work or informing persons of their travel status. When the loud speakers come on and a voice announces the boarding of a train accompanied by changes on the schedule board, the group gathered in the center clears out towards the tracks as if part of a cult. The constant flow of people makes the station feel somewhat like an oversized water scoop. The commuters gather and gather and gather, then are all released at once only to repeat the process several times throughout the day. What struck me as odd was that in a space so heavily dictated and dependent on time, there was only one clock to be found.