The completely circular London Underground station that 'looks like a flying saucer' and glows at night

The station was renamed during the 2018 World Cup after a legendary sports star

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The London Underground is full of quirky stations but one art-deco design has caught the attention of commuters as it 'looks like a flying saucer'. Opened in 1933 and, like many a gorgeous art deco station, designed by Charles Holden, Southgate station defies the laws of gravity with a cunning umbrella-ish structure.

The circular roof appears to be held up by the surrounding glass windows, when in fact it is a central column doing most of the hard graft. It's hard not to spot the completely circular shape of the station which has also become home to a whole host of eateries and amenities, making it a hub of activity for people on-the-go.

The station looks like a flying saucer with a Tesla coil-looking satellite dish on top. Matching circular seating yards from the entrance (like a moon for the main planet) carries an illuminated London Underground roundel with inbuilt lighting that glows blue and white at night. The effect in the evening is a bright and welcoming Tube station, just how it should be.

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Inside the station gleams with brass and the escalator is adorned with lamps from top to bottom. Tiled floors and walls with decorative orange linings mean the pre-war feeling continues to this day. Passengers were also treated to a brief name change during the 2018 World Cup, when the station became England manager 'Gareth Southgate'.

The Piccadilly line was once the first port of call for international air travellers landing in the UK's biggest airport. Stepping off a business class flight from Singapore, New York, or Nairobi, for some passengers the best way to their Knightsbridge hotel might still be a more than century old line, with 50-year-old carriages, to a place called Cockfosters.

Now with the birth of the Elizabeth line, there is a real risk that hardened Piccadilly line users might swap blue for purple and the liminal space between Arnos Grove and Hertfordshire will be lost forever. But for those who need an excuse to travel to Southgate's London Underground station, look no further than the space age design and kebabs.

But the magnificent thing about Southgate goes beyond the Grade-II listed architecture (of which all of Arnos Grove and beyond is). The station design has allowed businesses to flourish, including barbers, a clothes store, and watch repair shop within the circular design, and a handful of shops across the road.

The opposing buildings on the ring road - which is an alighting point for buses - means the travel hub is surrounded by food spots, including not one but two kebab shops, Nandos, a cafe, and a florist. It's the ultimate commuter hub for the city-bound worker, a coffee and a haircut before work, then a late-night kebab - and flowers to say sorry - in the evening.

This March the station celebrated 90 years of service. According to Enfield Gazette on March 17 1933 the first train left Oakwood at 5:40am with eight passengers before around six more joined at Southgate. The Gazette reporter was back in Southgate in time for breakfast and declared the underground trains were the world's fastest.

During the anniversary, TfL Piccadilly line area manager Neeta Jacob said: "Southgate Tube station is an iconic part of the Southgate area and an important building to the community and people here. Located at the heart of the area just by the Southgate Circle roundabout, its forward-thinking, unique station design is unmissable when you are in the area."

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