(a+b): Leonardo

Annalisa Dominoni and Benedetto Quaquaro have received the task by ATM to design the new trains for the Milan subway.

“Innovation” and “simplification” are the keywords identified by the designers to get a new and high impact visual result, in accordance with the structural requirements of the trains.

The design of the new head of the trains enhances the ATM logo using it as an aesthetic generator of shape. The idea is inspired by the metaphor of the mask dropped on the “face” of the head that defines the identity of the trains: where the sign of the logo features a “smile”, the front lights are the brightest eyelashes of the “eyes” of the train, that correspond to the rear lights. The study of the proportions is aimed to focusing attention on the “smile” – the ATM logo – which is located in the lower part of the mask, while the contour lines become thinner upward to enclose the shape of the head.

The study of the graphic skin for the exterior of the railroad carriage was developed emphasizing the simplicity of the language to facilitate a better visibility of the sliding doors.  The sign is, as well as aesthetic quality, an important visual reference of a more efficient communication system in relation to the use, to the people and to the perception of the oncoming train while people stand on the platform. Doors are highlighted by basic graphic signs, but at the same time they are strong and of great impact, in order to be easily visible even in conditions of congestion and overcrowding.

The choice of colors for the liveries of the trains, consistent with the aim at enhancing the identity of the ATM, keeps red for line 1 and green for line 2. The innovation lays in the proposal of spreading the colour of the external surface, as an alternative to the graphical solutions of the trains currently in use. In addition to the red and green trains, the project considers further trains, full black, that tend to disappear in the dark of the quays, in order to stand out the coloured graphic of the sliding doors, which are to be red for line 1 and green for line 2.

The design of interior spaces integrates several levels of intervention, that, without altering the structure, are set out to simplify the elements and rationalize the spaces. The new perception of the interior, as well as the choice of colours and finishes, is obtained thanks to an innovative use of LED light sources and a redesign of the components into space: ceiling, seats, handrails and digital communication supports. The design of the seat keeps the original overall dimensions, while the shape is simplified in a single monochromatic seat, glossy finish, characterized by a wavy surface as an alternative to the single seats with contrasting colors currently in use.

Leonardo
Design: Annalisa Dominoni and Benedetto Quaquaro