Vienna’s subway system is one of the best in the world. It currently consists of five lines, with a sixth one under construction. While building the stations and tunnels over the past 47 years, the architects had to work around basements, the sewage system, and the Wienfluss. That’s why many stations have an interesting history and appear somewhat unstructured, which can make them difficult to navigate.

My idea was to create a virtual museum that can be accessed via QR codes printed on ads displayed directly in the stations. This way, people can learn about the station’s history while waiting for the train, riding it, or exploring the station. The aim is to make the project appealing not only to tourists but also to locals.

For my poster and prototype, I chose Karlsplatz Station as an example because it has a fascinating history and is notoriously difficult to navigate due to its many levels and countless exits.

The slogan on the poster plays with the phrase “finding out”, which not only refers to literally finding a way out of the complex passages and levels of Karlsplatz, but also to discovering the station’s history. The language is English because many tourists pass through Karlsplatz every day. When the campaign is implemented for other stations, such as Seestadt, which is mainly used by locals, a German version of the poster would make more sense. This particular poster could be displayed not only on the platforms but also near the exits, as the advertisement directly references that scenario.

After scanning the QR code, the content page for Karlsplatz opens. It contains four paragraphs focusing on the history, construction, and current role of Karlsplatz, supported by relevant images. There is also an option to listen to the content, the audio version should not exceed five minutes to keep the information concise and engaging. The language can be changed as well.

If you’re interested in the history of other stations, you can visit the station overview and search for them. There is also a map where you can check out your surroundings and nearby stations. In the “More” section, there could be items such as the imprint, data policies, contact information, or links to other services and apps provided by the City of Vienna.

This Project is just a concept and not affiliated with Wiener Linien in any way. It is a purely academic student project, created for educational purposes only. No financial support, sponsorship, or compensation has been received from Wiener Linien or any other company. Any use of names or logos is solely for demonstration purposes within the prototype.

Sources:

• Person auf dem Poster: Foto von Nathan Dumlao auf Unsplash
• Karlsplatzbild: Foto von Shery Arturova auf Unsplash
• Karte von https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/48.18031/16.36414
• Baustelle Karlsplatz Bild: https://newsv2.orf.at/stories/2424487/2425558/
• United kingdom icons created by Freepik – Flaticon: https://www.flaticon.com/free-icons/united-kingdom