Designer Ora Ito unveils new Nice tram

French designer, Ora Ito, works to the philosophy of 'simplexity' - an emerging theory that proposes a possible complementary relationship between complexity and simplicity.

Ito has unveiled the design of the Nice tram that will run on the new east-west line through Nice. The streamlined tram exterior will be a reddish ochre colour, said to match the pigments used on the facades of 17th-century buildings including Place Massena and Villa Matisse. To lessen the impact of the tramway on the historic city, the trams will charge through the ground rather than via any prominent overhead cables.

"The lucid elegant shape is designed to slip through the historical town paving a contemporary ochre trail," says designer Ito. But the aesthetics of the tram is not the only point to have been considered. "The tramway is a means of transport that consumes the least energy and is in demand in today's cities," said ïto. "This new generation will contribute even further to protecting the environment with 30 per cent less energy consumption, recovery of brake energy and a revaluation rate of 98 per cent."

Each of the planned 19 vehicles can accommodate 300 travellers and will feature LED lighting and display journey-related information on extra-wide screens. Double doors along the length of the train will be added to offer better accessibility.

The future of Nice's tram network is now set and we will soon be able to enjoy travelling in comfort, style and with the knowledge that we are doing our bit to protect the environment in the Cote d'Azur.