The Rail Agency from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has revealed the interior designs of the Dubai Metro stations.

Engineer Abdulredha Abu Al Hassan, director of planning and design department, Rail Agency said that the metro stations would have a unique design uniting modernism and tradition.
Of the 47 stations that will run the length of both the metro lines (red and green), 10 will be underground while the remaining will be elevated.
“Their uniquely shell-shaped roof, while modern, invokes the heritage of pearl diving – an integral part of Dubai’s history,” says Al Hassan.
“The interiors of the stations are designed in respect of their historical background by adopting a design theme based on one of the four elements of nature: water, air, fire and earth. There will be a total of 12 Earth-themed stations, 13 water-themed stations, 11 air-themed stations and 11 fire-themed stations,” he adds.
The elevated stations are divided into three types according to the physical land conditions and other operational requirements.
Type 1 stations: The entrance is at ground level with an elevated platform. The design aims to maintain visual connections with the outside environment. This is achieved by the design of roof skylights or by the glass wall cladding that creates a visual link to the external perspectives as passengers move through the station.
Type 2 stations: These stations are supported with columns as both the concourse and platform are elevated. Being located along busy highways, they can be accessed from both sides of the road at ground-level entrances, which take passengers up to a footbridge, across the roads and into unpaid concourse areas.
Type 3 stations: The stations are designed with an extra track for future line extensions and operational functions.
“The key objectives of the station architectural design are safety and security to the public, and clear and simple planning with minimal travel distances,” says Al Hassan. “The station entrances at ground level are integrated with other modes of transportations, pedestrian connectivity and its surrounding context including provision to future developments.”
He confirmed that the circulation is direct and visible without reliance on excessive signage. Spaces within stations are therefore uncluttered and free from obstructions wherever possible to ensure visual connections between floors. In addition, the stations are designed to be fully equipped with features and facilities for people with special needs, mothers with baby prams and commuters with shopping bags and luggage.
The designs have adopted international standards to ensure that people with special needs are able to travel independently and with ease within the Dubai Metro stations. Public announcement and information is provided in both audio and visual. Direct route for tactile guidance paths are specially laid on the floor to guide visually-impaired people to their destinations. Elevators with sufficient space allow wheel chair manoeuvring and special need toilets have been incorporated into the station design. Specially trained customer service staff will always be at the station to assist passengers in need, he concludes.