Essen, March 31, 2022 – The Thalys high-speed red train has just received the international ‘Red Dot Product Design Award 2022’ for its new design. The new trains developed, in collaboration with Thalys, by the Belgian designer Axel Enthoven of the Antwerp agency Yellow Window and French designer matali crasset, convinced the jury made up of 48 international experts.
The official award ceremony will take place during Red Dot Design Week in June 2022 in Essen (Germany).
“We are very proud to receive the Red Dot Product Design Award 2022 for our renewed trainsets. Offering the best quality in terms of service and comfort to our customers, while offering more environmentally friendly mobility is at the heart of our ambitions. This prize rewards the many hours of work that our teams have spent on this project and which I would like to thank and congratulate"
The strengths of the new Thalys design
The objective pursued by Thalys with this renovated train was to increase the capacity of its trains while guaranteeing a high level of comfort. Emphasis was placed on the choice of seats, whose quality and seating comfort contribute to Thalys’ reputation. The high-quality textures and colors of the seats, which vary in different shades of red, enhance the feeling of comfort on board the train. The modern and particularly worked LED lighting contributes to create a comfortable atmosphere and improves the feeling of space. To meet the wishes of travellers, the new Thalys is adorned with additional details such as luggage racks, USB sockets and information screens.
Unused space has been reconfigured and the bar area has been redesigned. The design team created 28 additional seats (+7.5%) and more luggage storage space (+15%). The new Thalys thus considerably reduces CO2 emissions per passenger/per kilometre.
"Our goal was to create a comfortable design, of timeless beauty and elegance, which would still be modern ten years from now, while taking into account the different needs of travellers. That's why we bet on materials from quality, ergonomic seats, new color variations and softer lighting concepts. I think we have succeeded in developing a modern train design while remaining true to the identity of Thalys",
Discover the new Thalys train
Since October 2021, travelers have had the opportunity to discover the new train on the Paris Brussels-Amsterdam line or in 3D on newthalys.com. In Germany, the launch is planned from summer 2022. The official award ceremony for the competition will take place in Essen as part of Red Dot Design Week from June 20 to 24, 2022. The award-winning Thalys design will then also be on display at the Red Dot Museum in Essen.
Take a look at the interiors of the Thalys –> Thalys 3D Viewer
Key figures of the new design
- 28 additional seats (+7.5 percent)
- 50cm of legroom between two opposite seats
- 22 screens with real-time passenger information
- 15 percent more space for luggage (equivalent to approximately 400 suitcases of cabin)
- 5000 customers questioned on their expectations and preferences befor the renovation
- 8462 hours of creative work
About RED DOT
In order to professionally assess diversity in the field of design, the Red Dot Design Award is divided into three different disciplines: Red Dot Award: Product Design, Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design en Red Dot Award: Design Concept. With over 20,000 entries, the Red Dot Prize is one of the largest design competitions in the world. In 1955, a jury met for the first time to judge the best creations of the time. In the 1990s, Professor Dr. Peter Zec, CEO of Red Dot, developed the name and brand of the award. Since then, the coveted “Red Dot” award has been an internationally respected award that recognizes excellence in design. Winners are featured in yearbooks, museums and online.
More information at www.red-dot.de.
The source of this article is: Thalys
