Hatches from different countries of the world

Ilya Varlamov writes: "Today we will talk about hatches. It so happened that hatches have become an integral part of city streets. They are located in completely incomprehensible places for me. Some on the road, some right on the sidewalks. If everything is clear with hatches on the roads — they perform an exclusively utilitarian function, then the story is more complicated with sidewalks. A manhole on a pedestrian zone cannot be ugly. The hatch is the city flowers under the feet of pedestrians. These flowers can only be beautiful. Every normal city has its own hatch. By the design of the manholes, it is possible to judge the attitude of the mayor's office to the residents. In cities where residents are loved and respected, they cannot slip a rusty, dirty, cast-iron pancake on the sidewalk. Hatches give people warmth and joy, hatches decorate the city, hatches can be a work of art and a landmark, a hatch is a symbol of the city!

It's hard for me to walk on our streets, it hurts me to step on something that closes wells on our sidewalks. I can't watch how they don't give a damn about pedestrians. The most annoying thing is that most people do not imagine that they are being deceived. Let's see what the hatches should be. My personal collection has more than 2000 photos of manhole covers, in this post I have collected the most interesting of them."

Hatches are different. In many cities, the hatch depicts the city coat of arms, symbol or logo.

Here is the hatch of Bratislava.

Prague

Berlin

Budapest's new hatch

On the manholes of Rome, as well as on the coat of arms of this city, SPQR is written (the traditional Roman abbreviation of the phrase "Senatus Populisque Romanus", which in Latin means "the Senate and the Roman people").

Mail hatch in Budapest

Hatches in Copenhagen

Swedish hatch from the city of Malmo.

In some cities, the hatches are simpler, for example, American hatches

Sometimes a hatch is a work of art.

Look, what a miracle!

It's a pity to step on such a hatch...

I would do this in the floor at home with pleasure!

For the sake of such hatches, it was worth inventing cities and streets. This is a hatch with a soul, the warmth of which he gives to passers-by.

The Japanese distinguished themselves the most.

In Japan, due attention and care is paid to every element of urban design, and manholes are no exception.

The art of designing such hatches has reached a degree of national obsession in Japan, numerous municipal departments compete with each other in who has the best hatches.

In Japan, the hatches are painted. It turns out very cool.

Look, what a miracle!

Here is just a small part of my collection of Japanese hatches. There are hundreds of them, they are different in each district. The Japanese are very proud of their hatches.

There are hatches with photo printing

There are even such hatches.

And this is the famous hatch with a quote from the American writer Kurt Vonnegut.

And in the Italian city of Ferrara, a whole hatch museum was opened last year!

The hatch can be not only an ornament of the city, it can also bring benefits. Here, for example, hatches with navigation.

The main sights are marked on them and the distance to them is indicated.

Such hatches can bring income to the city, because you can place ads on them.

Now let's remember what our hatches look like. Every time I go outside, tears come to my eyes. I can't believe that Moscow and other Russian cities deserve such hatches. Where did these rusty, dirty pancakes come from? Why do our cities deprive themselves of the beauty under their feet? What is it anyway?

Look at these two hatches. In 2004, a competition was held in Vancouver to design a city hatch. 640 people took part in the competition. These two hatches won and now they decorate the city. A few days ago, a new competition was announced. The city is ready to make 3,000 new hatches according to the winner's project.

Here are the most popular works submitted to the competition in 2004.

The hatch often becomes an object for the work of designers. Hatches are printed on stamps.

In the form of a hatch, sofa cushions are made.

Mats.

And even bags.

Cufflinks with a hatch pattern are very popular.

A plug for the sink.