New York City's Abstract Subway Map

New York City's controversial subway map of 1972 is being updated in the current edition of Men's Vogue.

1 minute read

May 2, 2008, 8:00 AM PDT

"It was gorgeous. It was abstract. It was criticized. It was confusing. And it's back.

With its 45- and 90-degree angles and one color per subway line, the 1972 subway map by Massimo Vignelli was divorced from the cityscape, devoid of street or neighborhood names. It was criticized because its water was not blue and its parks were not green. Paul Goldberger called it "a stunningly handsome abstraction" that 'bears little relation to the city itself.'

Now Men's Vogue has asked Mr. Vignelli to update his iconic subway map for the May design issue."

FULL STORY: Such Hubbub Over a Subway Map. Decades Later, Revisions.

Thursday, May 1, 2008 in The New York Times

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