Making a Moving Design Statement

04 July 2006

Melbourne-based design group CobaltNiche recently launched its take on the design of Melbourne’s next generation tram, the ‘Melba 2011’; a modern interpretation of the classic W-Class tram.
The project was a proactive exercise, timed to coincide with the group’s tenth birthday celebrations and the Victorian Government’s announcement of $500 million for 100 new trams for Melbourne’s network by 2011. Within the competitive world of consultancy it’s difficult for projects such as these to be justified. Normally the design consultant’s focus is firmly fixed on fee-paying clients and projects. According to CobaltNiche director, Steve Martinuzzo, “given the importance of trams to Melbourne and the mix of government and private agendas, this was one project we felt compelled to do”. The design received mainstream media attention when it was launched, not surprising given the public’s interest in the subject.
Unlike the competition between design and product-engineering students being organised by lab3000 and Alstom, a major French-based tram manufacturer, the CobaltNiche design is a professional study of a tram that can be put into production now. However, the collective message of both of these initiatives is to highlight the need for design to take a leading role in the next tram purchase.

ICONIC STATUS
“Trams are to Melbourne like black-cabs are to London, or even as the Opera House is to Sydney and it’d be unimaginable that the design of these icons would be left to chance” said Jack Magree co-director and leader of CobaltNiche’s transport design group. However, the trend in transport design as in automotive and other industries is to rationalise models, where apart from minor local requirements and livery, the same rolling stock can be seen in cities as diverse as Vienna, Amsterdam and Budapest. Whilst there are obvious economies of scale for this approach, Jack Magree believes that “given the cultural and infrastructure importance trams have to Melbourne, not to mention the sheer size of our tram fleet, we should insist our new trams are unique and relevant to our city.”

DESIGN PROCESS
With only 3 weeks before a major event to mark the opening of their new ‘designspace’ building, the directors of CobaltNiche met to decide on a centre-piece project. Although an anthology exhibit featuring one product design for each year since forming in 1996 was already planned, “we also thought it was important to exhibit something new; a design that looked to the future” said Steve Martinuzzo. They decided a design study of Melbourne’s next tram would be the perfect project.
Within the first few days the ideas began to focus on a modern interpretation of the classic W-class tram. A number of hand sketches were done, exploring the subtleties between familiarity and uniqueness. Once the best look was found, the design was modeled in ProEngineer, a high-end CAD (computer-aided design) system, creating a virtual model of the tram exterior. Data from this CAD model was used to create the scale model and CG (computer generated) images. All was completed within hours of the exhibition opening!

REBIRTH OF A CLASSIC
The original W-Class model had an extraordinarily long life and although it commenced being phased out in the 1970’s, there are still a handful of these models used for the City Circle tourist route. It remains the quintessential Melbourne tram, and examples of this classic both working and museum pieces are scattered throughout the world.
Although retro designs are currently in fashion, the designers of the ‘Melba 2011’ were careful to avoid a simplistic caricature of the original. Rather, the aim was to project to what the design of the Melbourne tram would be if there had been a continuous link from its launch in 1923 through to 2011. Therefore, the new tram had to embrace the latest technology, safety and comfort, just as the W-class designers had in their day.
The ‘Melba 2011’ features a single, round front lamp, an external assymetrical route number plaque and three side lights. Unlike it’s older relative, it features a low-height floor (for excellent disabled access) and large panoramic windows.

ABOUT THE DESIGNERS
CobaltNiche is a leading design group with local and international clients. Employing 14 staff, it works across Australia, the United States, Europe and South East Asia. This year it will open an office in Europe. CobaltNiche’s directors have extensive experience in developing specialised transport vehicles such as train designs for European and Australian cities as well as the Victorian Police Booze Bus, for which it won an Australian Design Award. As a long-term client, Melbourne’s tram operator Yarra Trams have their distinctive green anchor grab-handles supplied by CobaltNiche.
Although tenders have not yet been issued, it’s likely that commercial, logistical and local manufacturing criteria will dominate the government’s requirements. CobaltNiche believes that the tram design is in itself crucial and has used the ‘Melba 2011’ to make a design statement which its hoped will eventually lead to a new tram Melbournians and the rest of the world will love.