client
transport for london
text
short long
reach
on off
elizabeth line
One of Europe’s most significant recent infrastructure projects, the Elizabeth Line supports 300,000 passengers daily. We collaborated with Barber Osgerby and Transport for London to create a human-scale interior identity designed to wear in, not wear out.
How might a train interior be designed with an architectural approach? Transport for London (TfL) invited us to create an interior identity for the Elizabeth Line’s carriages.
At the time, the Elizabeth Line was one of Europe’s largest-ever infrastructure projects: a scheme to deliver a major new railway line for central London and its surrounding towns and cities. TfL invited us to create an interior identity and experience to carry the London transport system towards the future.
We worked closely with Map’s founding company, Barber Osgerby, to design a human-scale, pared-back interior of clean lines, pure geometry, and subtle details for the line’s new rolling stock.
“The width of the carriage is generous and there is room under the seats for easier cleaning, and to store bags during busy periods. The strip lighting above defuses down the sides of the carriage, rather than glaring directly into your eyes if standing (if you’re tall like me, this usually feels like being at the dentist).” — Disegno
We carefully selected materials and construction techniques for their longevity: from cast stainless steel grab poles to robust rubber floors. Needing to support more than 300,000 passengers daily, the materials are designed to wear in, not wear out. To accommodate the diverse needs of our passengers, we introduced flexible seating configurations and innovative split-level armrests that can be shared between two people. We set out to design a carriage interior with refined utility and usability that encourages intuitive human interactions with the carriage infrastructure, and each other.
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