The new London bus, designed by Thomas Heatherwick, is the result of Transport for London asking, as part of the design brief, for an iconic vehicle that would replace the Douglas Scott-designed Routemaster, whilst having regard for its heritage and style. In just a couple of years the new bus has become a symbol, like the ‘black cab’ of the London street scene; it makes the standard red box buses look crude and dated, but I do hate the top right rear corner where the glass cannot be persuaded to follow the curvature of the composite rear panel.
New technology for buses, both hybrid and electric, gives an opportunity for dramatic changes in the appearance of public transport on city streets. Some enlightened cities have understood this opportunity to present a modern face for their infrastructure, Rabat, Barcelona and Parma for example. I have been involved with German company Siemens in linking the street infrastructure to the electric bus systems that they are introducing to many cities; a particularly interesting project.
What still surprises me is how few design students take the opportunity to work on bus or coach design projects. These vehicles can give young designers the chance to demonstrate their creativity and imagination in ways that can add excitement to a portfolio of work that has to compete with so many others containing drawings of car, after car, after car.
How would a 200-seat coach, as a competitor to air travel, running at 300km/h on a super-highway look? And what would the infrastructure around the journey look like?
About Peter Stevens
Peter Stevens is a world-renowned vehicle designer and former Visiting Professor of Vehicle Design at the Royal College of Art in London. Over the course of his career, he’s been chief designer at Lotus Cars, McLaren and Lamborghini and design director for MG, Mahindra and Mahindra and Rivian Automotive. He’s also worked as a design consultant for Prodrive, BMW, Williams and Toyota. You can catch up with his antics on his Facebook page and his new website.
