The Cinematic Pannenhuis metro station
Pannenhuis Metro | Brussels | Belgium
Photographing the Cinematic Pannenhuis metro station in Brussels. This tiny station has a big character, it's located outside and far from any tourist spot in Brussels. My first impression was that I was entering a spaceship from a science fiction movie from the '70s.
Photography & copy by Thomas Milton | updated on 20th Sep 25
Taking a metro in Brussels is like entering different art galleries along the way. Approximately 69 stations have different visual aesthetics in the form of art. In the '60s, during the planning of the metro system in Brussels, the local authorities found a way to enforce art components in the metro stations instead of the traditional visual advertising that we see around any other major European capital. With this concept, they filled a large part of the metro stations with art. But let's focus on the Pannenhuis metro station, located on the outskirts of Brussels.
This tiny station is surreal, located outside and far from any tourist spot in Brussels. From the moment you step in the station, these gigantic doubled oval colorful lights lead the path to the escalator towards the platforms. My first impression was that I was entering a spaceship from a science fiction movie from the '70s, or even a Black Mirror episode that could go wrong.
While photographing the station, you can completely forget that this is a metro station. The dark lights and shades create contrast with the gigantic circular lights and tubes in the ceiling illuminating certain areas that create light gaps across the whole station. The best photography area is around the escalator, going upwards or downwards. Due to the high ceiling lights, it's a great spot to apply different optical contrast between the elements, resulting in a visual illusion between the floor and the lights on the ceiling..
There are plenty of visual opportunities for cinematic photography or architectural photography. It doesn't matter what time of the day due to the internal location, but it's recommended to bring a tripod to capture light trails and cinematic pixel-perfect images of this photogenic and surreal metro station in Europe.
“The Pannenhuis metro station has been used as a setting for commercial shoots, music videos, travel influencers, and photographers who admire the cinematic aesthetic potential of every corner of this tiny station.”
