AWARD YEAR
2021
CATEGORY
Play & Learning
GOALS
Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities & Communities
KEYWORDS
Heritage, Mobility, Co-creation, Immersiveness
COUNTRY
Hong Kong SAR
DESIGNED BY
CIRCUS
WEBSITE
https://zolimacitymag.com/circus-tram-a-hong-kong-tram-unlike-any-other/
CIRCUS TRAM
Disruptive innovation of declining transport utility into cultural and educational experiences
Curating City and its Legacy: Hong Kong Trams had 116 years of history as public transport, declining to 1/10 of market share today. Against government policy, CIRCUS reinvents the double-deck passenger system into a first-of-its-kind learned society on the road. Our patrons support cultural salon, book launch, micro concert, and study tours for underprivileged.
Intergenerational Co-creation: Made by young designers hand-in-hand with elder (and forgotten) craftsmen at depot. The 9x2x4m volume is spatially reconfigured into three thematic cabins- namely the Freudians, Darwin’s Garden, and Chatham House. Unique electrical and water systems is purposely engineered amongst 164 standard trams.
Academia into Application: CIRCUS (Research Consortium for Urban, Cultural and Social Innovations) originated as a university experiment. Four prototype trams, namely Eatery, Classroom, Blackbox, and Music box, were created in 2013. CIRCUS TRAM is debut of the dedicated fleet launched in Oct, 2018.