The Roma station in Lisbon is a good example of how the metro turns daily travel into art. The station opened in 1972, and Maria Keil was the artist behind its tilework, bringing her simple yet elegant style to the walls.


At Roma, she said the pattern of an industrial floor tile inspired her. The decoration is made of blue-based modules. The design feels clean and structured, but it still has a soft visual effect, because the repeated tiles make the space look lighter and more organised.


This station is part of the oldest wave of Lisbon Metro art, when Maria Keil helped give each place its own identity through azulejos. Instead, it works quietly with geometry, colour, and repetition.


Roma shows how even a simple tile pattern can become part of the city’s visual memory. Have you noticed the tiles at Roma’s station? What other metro station art in Lisbon did you notice?