State Center - (MARC Baltimore Metro SubwayLink) x- The SubwayNut

State Centre/Cultural Center although the platform signs just say State Center, is an underground Baltimore Metro SubwayLink Station. The stop contains a single entrance at the Northern corner of Eutaw Street and Preston Street, in the middle of a campus full of state office buildings. Passengers can enter the subway by passing a silver enclosure around a bank of two escalators and a staircase, in a plaza along the north side of Preston Street, just 130 feet from the intersection. There is also a separate silver elevator shaft right at the corner. This entrance is two blocks away down Presenton Street from the Metro Light RailLink's Station at Cultural Center.

Passengers reach a wide but short mezzanine corridor that leads to the middle of the central mezzanine above the platform below. This mezzanine has a concrete roof with ribbing visible but contains silver sheets of metal along the mezzanine walls beneath. A band of orange towards the top of the mezzanine walls provides a pop of color.

After entering the station, upon reaching the area above the platform, there is a wide circular opening in the full-length mezzanine allowing views down to the platform and train tracks below. Suspended from the ceiling above the platform and roughly at the level of the mezzanine is the mobile sculpture Venter by Paul Daniel that was installed in the station at its opening in 1983.

To reach the subway trains, passengers can turn either left or right from the entrance mezzanine to banks of faregates on either side of the large circula opening in the middle of the mezzanine. This station has just one entrance but two banks of faregates. Only the bank of faregates to the north contains a booth for the station attendant. Both entrances require passengers to double-back and turn around to first reach a bank of two escalators, one going up and one going down, followed by a staircase towards each end of the station platform. Only the northern entrance area (that contains the station attendant) has an elevator leading down from the northern end of the mezzanine to the northern end of the platform.

The island platform itself feels particularly airy from the large opening to the mezzanine above in the middle of it. Otherwise, the platform contains a hexagonal tiled floor and track walls of concrete with vertical lines providing some contrast.
Photos 1-12 taken on August 31, 2024;

Transferring from the light rail to the Metro. A sign for the Metro on the edge of an odd brutalist concrete elevated plaza built above Presention Street on the two block walk from the light rail to the subway

Approaching the station entrance, an enclosure around stairs and escalators, the elevator in the distance

Looking past the entrance, there are benches and the elevator in the distance

Heading down the escalator into the metro, the street elevator is visible

Charm Card Vending Machines on the mezzanine, the opening to the platform is in the distance with fare gates on each side, a band of orange adds contrast on the mezzanine

The Venter suspended over the opening to the platform from the center of the mezzanine

Venter and the platform visible below

Looking down the mezzanine within fare control, this area leads to a staircase

Heading down the escalators to the platform, the fare gates are visible in the distance, passengers must double-back from them to reach the platform

Looking down the platform, the opening to the middle of the mezzanine is clearly visible

Looking out from a train at the platform