A New Normal
(Together in) Electric Dreams
Melbourne, Victoria
Public
In Progress
Our studio is passionate about the future city that Melbourne could be; because we live here, because it has so much to offer, and because it’s already proven itself to be a world leader… and it can prove it again.
Emboldened by the climate crisis and our desire to use our powers for good, we joined a team of dedicated industry peers led by Finding Infinity, to rethink how our cities could undergo a reset towards a safer, more sustainable, more resilient path. Central to this initiative, is the need to overhaul transportation between Sydney and Melbourne – one of the busiest air traffic routes in the world.
By 2030, we must provide a legitimate, electric alternative to air travel. The current XPT trains are the only long-distance public transport option for travelling between Sydney and Melbourne. These trains are up to 37 years old and are powered by diesel-electric engines. They’re polluting, old, tired, and far from an inspiring way to travel.
Not fast, not slow, we’ve set out to celebrate medium-paced travel by repurposing existing rail infrastructure to connect Australia’s largest urban centres. Through great design, we can create demand for trains, improve efficiency – and have fun doing it!
Eat; Sleep; Relax; Repeat! Our proposal would see old carriages stripped down to their shell, before being repurposed as mobile F&B destinations. The opportunities are endless: we’ve included a café, restaurant, bar, lounge, co-working facilities and sleeper cars to cater for all travel times and celebrate the rich hospitality culture of our cities.
Presented as part of the ‘A New Normal’ program at NGV Design Week 2021, Electric Dreams, along with design initiatives from some of Australia’s leading architects and designers, aims to demonstrate how harnessing energy and waste can shift Melbourne from a consumer to a producer of energy by 2030.
Electric Dreams is a prototype for the future: a bespoke bar cart, powered by solar energy and cleverly constructed using recycled materials by our friends at Supa Dupa Industries. The mobile bar cart becomes a suggestion that conjures the experience of a converted train, and acts as a nod to the drinks trolleys usually found in the aisles of trains and planes. It’s a reimagining of the past, to create future-forward travel experiences in a convivial, relaxed style.