madame mohr's second-round competition entry for vienna's U5 metro

madame mohr’s second-round competition entry for vienna’s U5 metro
all visuals courtesy of madame mohr

designing for public transportation systems is a complicated process filled with guidelines outlying everything from commuter safety to how the floor gets cleaned. regulations and restrictions are obviously there for a reason, and do help the highly complex system of moving people work a little smoother. however, they often lead to environments that are cold and industrial, grid-like and generally complete opposite of any user-focused design team would strive for.

an LED system, created with EPOS design, mimics outside lighting conditions in deep underground stations

last year, the city of vienna held an open two-part competition — since completed, winner here — calling for designs of the new U5 metro line. austrian interdisciplinary studio madame mohr entered the competition with a proposal focusing on the human-experience, choosing warmness and friendliness over the prevalent drab of the past. their concept includes: lighting systems that correspond directly to travel direction, floor tiles that direct passengers, hanging info panels that maximize total-station visibility, filleted surfaces to avoid dirtiness, a continuous signage band that maintains a constant orientation, and other aesthetic details.

all horizontal surfaces in the platform typically used to leave trash have been removed

lighting elements and flooring reflect travel/walking/dancing directions to assist passengers with navigation

elements such as SOS stations, seats, bins, emergency stops, and displays are clearly identifiable 

by filleting surfaces, the line’s high-quality materials can be cleaned quickly and stay clean longer 

vienna U5 metro platform 

all sharp corners have been eradicated to minimize possible injuries 

platform lights are oriented to reflect the train’s direction of travel 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: nick brink | designboom