Earlier this week, I went to the Hammer Museum to see their current exhibits. They were all interesting in their own respects but what really captured my attention was the new version of the iconic double-decker Routemaster. It is called the "New Bus" for London and it is part of the Provocations exhibit highlighting product/architectural design. The mayor, Boris Johnson, enlisted the help of Heatherwick Studio to design a sleeker-looking, hybrid Routemaster. With energy consumption reduced by 40 percent, this updated model will be a huge step towards reducing the carbon footprint in high-traffic cities like London. Not to mention, the improved interior and overall style could draw in more people to utilize public transportation and cut back on cars on the road. I know that I would jump at the opportunity to take the New Bus, and that is definitely the effect they will have by employing it all over the city.
This exhibit related immensely to my midterm project, where I proposed utilizing magnetic levitation to reduce energy consumption and traffic in large cities. It is amazing the kind of role that design can play into areas that seem completely unrelated, and solve problems and increase ease. We are definitely in an advanced period with great thinkers and innovators and groundbreaking technology. I believe we can and should be utilizing creative design and innovative technology whenever/wherever possible.
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