Bedell – NEW TUBE MAP RUNS ON STRICTLY CLASSIC LINES 1990

Description

Changes in Docklands have forced a significant overhaul of the London Underground map, but the new version—now appearing in stations—remains faithful to Harry Beck’s classic schematic. Designed by Tim Denuth with consultants Herion, Ludlow & Schmitt, the update preserves Beck’s guiding principles: showing lines only vertically, horizontally or at 45° angles, abandoning geographic scale for clarity, and using clear colour-coding and Johnston-type lettering. Beck’s 1933 diagram, influenced by electrical-circuit logic and promoted under Frank Pick, transformed public wayfinding and is held in the V&A and MoMA. The latest redesign accommodates major network changes: the Jubilee Line extension through London Bridge, Canary Wharf to Stratford; DLR extensions to Beckton and Bank; provision for the Chelsea–Hackney (Crossrail/Chel-Hackney) and East–West Crossrail routes; reinstatement of the North London line; and new eastern interchanges. Some river geometry and line colours have been adjusted to maintain legibility without introducing “wiggly” routes.