Travel can be stressful — the rush of connections, the weight of crowds, the anonymity of transit hubs. But public art has the power to shift that experience, creating moments of calm, joy, or recognition in the middle of motion. It can turn a station into a sanctuary, a gateway into a cultural landmark, or a hallway into a memory. The 2025 CODAaward Transportation category celebrates projects that not only ease the journey but also reflect the identity of the cities they serve.
Stephen Canneto | San Francisco, CA
At San Francisco’s Powell Street BART Station, Elysium bathes commuters in a radiant canopy of color and light. Stephen Canneto’s installation transforms the subterranean station into an immersive environment where art provides both escape and uplift. The work’s shifting patterns invite reflection, making one of the Bay Area’s busiest transit nodes feel like a moment of sanctuary.
Mayer of Munich | New York, NY
Installed in the Moynihan Train Hall, Wild Things references the untamed energy of nature within the sleek, monumental architecture of the terminal. Mayer of Munich’s design integrates color and form into the rhythm of daily travel, offering moments of wonder amid the rush of arrivals and departures.
Merit | Sydney Gateway – Where the Sky Meets the Earth and Sea
Amanda Jelicich-Kane | Sydney, Australia
For Sydney’s new gateway project, Amanda Jelicich-Kane created a series of monumental works that merge land, sea, and sky. Patterns drawn from First Nations heritage and natural landscapes stretch across infrastructure, marking the journey into and out of the city with imagery that is both ancient and forward-looking.
Mark Reigelman | San Antonio, TX
In San Antonio, Falling Water celebrates the city’s famous River Walk by transforming a new transportation hub with cascading sculptural forms. Reigelman’s piece brings motion and flow indoors, echoing the river’s presence and grounding travelers in the city’s identity from the moment they arrive.
Together, these awardees show how art in transportation can be both functional and transcendent. Whether underground in San Francisco, in a historic New York train hall, along Australia’s gateway, or within San Antonio’s river city, these works prove that movement itself can be elevated into an artistic experience.
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