Coxwell

Part of the original Bloor-Danforth line, Coxwell station opened on February 25, 1966. The station’s name alludes to Charles Coxwell Small (1800-64), a clerk in the King’s Bench Division of the Supreme Court. Small owned a large property bounded by Woodbine, Coxwell, and the Danforth, where he raised cattle and operated a tannery and sawmills.

Coxwell station bus platform: glass box on a concrete slab

For anyone heading eastbound, you’re familiar with Coxwell because of the inevitable ‘short delay while we change crews’ that occurs as train operators end or begin their shifts. The nearby Danforth Garage is used as TTC office space, so a frequent cloud of employees hangs around this station, particularly by the entrance.

A spaceship bridge vibe  

The form and layout of the compact station are eminently sensible. Platform, concourse, entrance/bus level, each sparely adorned. It may not be beautiful, but it works.

Update: Subsequent to my visit, Coxwell received not one but two art installations (Sean Martindale’s Transitions—located by the Danforth Carhouse—arguably counts as #3). 

The first, Pods Through Time by Cristina Delago, adorns the south wall bordering the station.

Pods Through Time: examining the life and spirit of the neighourhood, moving through the past, present, and future

I’m unenthusiastic about the piece, for a grossly superficial and arbitrary reason. The feeble yellow background is not to my taste at all. But my cursory participation in how a mosaic comes into being (at Sherbourne) has forced me to appreciate all the creative energy, labour and care that went into making this one. I have no doubt that everyone who assisted Delago in creating Pods Through Time is immensely proud with how it turned out. And yet... all I should say is, it’s better than having a barren concrete wall. 

The other installation gracing Coxwell ‘invites a multitude of interpretations’. Forwards and Backwards by Jennifer Davis and Jon Sasaki is situated within the tight concourse of the station.  

Forwards and Backwards: challenging you to ruminate on what goes on ‘behind the curtains’ at the TTC

 

The polished aluminum ripples (referencing the TTC’s rolling stock and infrastructure) act like a fun-house mirror on passer-by. ‘What comes next?’ it prompts. Take a break from your commute on the opposing bench for a few minutes to think of an answer. 

Thematically concerned with flux and movement through time, the art at Coxwell befits a neighbourhood undergoing considerable transformation.   

Photo Gallery

Tour the station, and view captioned historical images from its past:
(hint: turn on the captions)

Transfer:

Coxwell station transfer

More about Coxwell

TTC Station info | Map | Wikipedia: Coxwell

My next stop: King
Previous station: Union

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