A logo or a symbol of futility?

It's important to distinguish between the bureaucratic process and the aesthetic result. The decision to call off the design competition for a logo for the Thessaloniki metro should be discussed separately from the end-result, which everyone will have a different opinion on.

The abrupt reversal of the planned procedure for proposals to be submitted is highly problematic in itself, pointing to the familiar patterns of patronage-driven interactions between the public sector and private entities. Typically, this involves one or more tenders issued as a formality, followed by a direct commission to fulfill the original, concealed intent. There is no other conclusion to come to when the cancellation of these tenders - effectively dismissing the efforts and trust of the professionals who mistakenly participated - lacks sufficient justification. The official explanation was that...