The Foster + Partners studio has won a call to tender for the design of a new red bus that will circulate around streets the streets of London.
It will be rounder in shape and more luminous
These buses are one of the city’s cultural icons and riding them has become a popular tourist attraction. Who hasn’t ridden one during a visit to London? But the red double-decker buses known as Routemaster were removed from the public transport network in 2005 because they are considered dangerous. Many users would get on or off and even jump from the rear platform while the bus was in motion. Also, because the bus was designed in the mid-20th Century, it was not adapted for use by the handicapped. The mythical red double-decker buses were put aside and reserved for taking tourists around the city. It seemed one of the city’s (not to mention the nation’s) most popular icons had reached its end.
However, last summer, the Council of the City of London decided to salvage the mythical Routemaster and organized “A New Bus for London”, a public tender to award the design of the 21st Century’s red bus. And we finally know what London’s new buses will look like, because the winners have already been announced.
The first prize was awarded to Foster + Partners and Aston Martin, who jointly designed the bus pictured here. Although the new design preserves the classic bus’ red color and double-decks, it also contains new features: access for handicapped passengers, on-board radio and screens, wood flooring, leather seats and lamps that make it look more like a living room. The upper deck has windows that stretch along the sides, which we can only imagine will provide people seated on the top floor with impressive views of the city.
The City Council also awarded prizes for the new bus’ design in the “Imagine” category, for which participants (mostly British school children) sent in drawings of their beloved and unforgettable red bus. The winner was Thomas Staricoff, a 9 year-old boy who aspires to become a bus driver and eventually start his own bus company. The kid is a real fan of this means of transport. He even reads specialty magazines dedicated to buses!
You can check out other prizes in the "Imagine" and "Design" categories in this PDF document.
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It will be rounder in shape and more luminous
