( CNN ) -- What would be the most sensible way for a city to make use of its old and disused metro stations ? Maybe they could be given a lick of paint and put back into service . Or how about rebranding them to drag in tourists with ghoulish yarns of haunted catacombs ? In the French capital of Paris , one mayoral candidate has raised the possibility of sprucing up a station that has lain idle since 1939 with elaborate swimming pools , nightclubs and art installations . See also : London 's multi-story luxury basements . Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet , the center-right candidate of the UMP party , has commissioned a series of arresting illustrations displaying how Arsenal , one of the city 's so-called ghost metro stops , could be used . If she becomes mayor , Kosciusko-Morizet has said she will ask Parisians for their own ideas on how to transform the vacant the subterranean spaces . Alongside the aquatic and artistic options , which have been created by the Paris-based firms Oxo architectes and LaisnÃ© Architecte , the mock-ups also include images of the station being converted into a theater and a restaurant . In total , there are 16 disused metro stations beneath the streets of Paris with most closed between the 1930s and 1970s . A small number were also built but have never been used . See also : Where are the world 's most expensive luxury properties . Despite the attention garnered by the images in the local press so far , however , Kosciusko-Morizet still lies far behind the favorite and frontrunner in the mayoral race , Socialist Anne Hidalgo . This could mean that taking a dip at the Arsenal metro swimming pool or snaffling a bite to eat in its subterranean restaurant may be a while in coming . That does n't make the pictures any less intriguing or pretty though .
A mayoral candidate in Paris has proposed restoring the city 's disused metro stations . A series of murals depicts subterranean night clubs , swimming pools and restaurants . There are a total of five disused stations beneath the streets of Paris .