Waiting for a bus is hardly anyone’s favorite activity, especially if the seats and benches are not very comfortable. Often they are very unimaginative and look all the same. It can actually get pretty frustrating, waiting at a plain, uncomfortable bus stop, especially if you don’t have a co-traveler, book, music, or anything else fun to entertain with. However, not all bus stops are like that, there are some where imagination and creativity have run wild to make people’s bus wait as comfortable and interesting as possible. Whether they were created to stay permanently or as a temporary intervention, we bring you here 10 cool bus stops around the world.
1. Goal Bus Stop, Brazil
Football fans watch out – there is a bus stop that honors your favorite sport and, not surprisingly, it is located in Brazil, the country of football. Designed as a goal, it was created for the promotion of the World Cup by Guarana Antartica, the sponsored drink. Brilliant enough!
2. Library Bus Stop, Japan
Waiting for a bus is much more interesting when you have a good read, this is why this Japanese bus stop is a perfect one – you can also take a book with you but it would be great to return after reading or replace with a new one!
3. Bus Home, USA
One of the coolest bus stops is for sure the one at Pacific View mall in Ventura, California. The art piece by Dennis Oppenheim shows a transformation of a bus into a home – perfect interpretation of a bus stop and bus travel!
4. Subway Bus Stop, Brazil
Located in Curitiba, design hub of Brazil, these subway-looking bus stations became the symbol of the city. People pay the fare at the entrance and go directly to the bus and the nice thing is – the price is the same no matter where you go.
5. Japanese Fruit Bus Stops
The flare for special and very specific design in Japan translates very well into architecture and objects of everyday life. Great example are bus stops in shapes of our favourite fruits: melon, strawberry, orange… enough to make you smile and make your wait interesting. Which fruit would you choose?
6. Swing Bus Stop, United Kingdom
One of the coolest cities in the world, London, has also one of the coolest bus stops. Created by a street artist Bruno Taylor, this bus stop guarantees a lot of fun while waiting for your ride.
7. Bee Stops, The Netherlands
How cool is it to have bee havens across the city? This is exactly what the city of Utrecht has done by turning rooftops of over 300 hundred bus stops into green areas for bees. Hopefully none of them wants a bus ride with you!
8. Dubai Bus Stop, UAE
The luxury of Dubai can also be felt in the bus stop design – the futuristic bus stops are equipped not only with air-condition but also a button that calls out directly to the bus driver!
9. The Obvious Bus Stop, Spain
Obvious yet playful design of the Baltimore bus stop was created in 2014 by the Madrid-based art collective Mmmm. Simple and still brilliant design built like a street bench provides both fun and shelter during your wait.10.
10. Soviet Bus Stops
There is something special about the Soviet era design and the bus stops of that time are well documented by photographer Christopher Herwig. Some still in function and some abandoned, the bus stops are definitely great witnesses of these times.
