A New Timepiece for the Railway , London / Vereinigtes Königreich

 

Network Rail

 

in partnership with:

Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)

 

The Design Museum (London)

 

Network Rail, working in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Design Museum (London), invites proposals for the design of a timepiece to display and communicate time across the UK national rail network.

 

Network Rail has purposefully elected to use the generic term ‘timepiece’ rather than ‘clock’ for indicating and measuring time in a room, on the wall of a building, or on a computer screen. Network Rail wishes to avoid the conventions and connotations associated with referring to such instruments as ‘clocks’. Through the design ideas competition process, Network Rail is seeking to explore and interrogate how time and the passage of time is best depicted on the UK national railway.

 

Network Rail has new wayfinding that uses its new Rail Alphabet 2 typeface. However, it does not currently have a unified design for the display and communication of time across the rail network and associated significant built environment estate. Network Rail is accordingly seeking innovative approaches for the provision of a new suite of timepieces to display and communicate time.

 

With future design development, the winning proposals for the timepiece will need to be scalable and adaptable, such that they can be potentially deployed (in various configurations) across a wide range of different formats, uses, contexts and settings. This will include deployment at the planned new generation of small to medium-sized modular railway stations (which together with their connection to 21st Century communities) were the focus of Network Rail’s 2020 Re-Imagining Railway Stations competition. This was the second design competition run by Network Rail in association with the Royal Institute of British Architects and followed a 2018 competition for the design of a new generation of accessible footbridges. These competition-led initiatives all form part of Network Rail’s re-affirmed commitment to good design and the consistent delivery of excellent ordinary across the UK rail network.

 

The Design Ideas Competition is open internationally to practitioners within the fields of art, design, engineering and/or architecture. Submissions are also welcome from students (and recent graduates) at higher education establishments who are studying these design disciplines.

 

Deadline to raise Questions on the Brief: Fri. 12 May 2023

Issue of Memorandum in response to Questions: Tues. 23 May 2023

Deadline to apply for URN: Thurs. 08 June 2023

Deadline for receipt of Phase 1 design submissions: Tues. 13 June 2023, 12.00 hrs. (BST)

Evaluation of design submissions commences: Wed. 14 June 2023

Adjudication Panel meeting(s): w/c Mon. 26 June 202 | W/c Mon. 03 July 2023

Notification to Shortlist and Unsuccessful Competitors: w/c Mon. 17 July 2023

 

Shortlist issued with design development requirements and feedback on proposals submitted to Phase 1 of the Competition: w/c Mon. 17 July 2023

Individual design approach workshop meetings: w/c Mon. 24 July 2023 | w/c Mon. 31 July 2023 (Tbc)

Phase 2 submission deadline: Early September (date Tbc at Phase 2)

Clarification Interview Presentations: Late September (date Tbc at Phase 2)

Shortlist notified of Result: (date Tbc at Phase 2)

Public Announcement of Results: (date Tbc at Phase 2)

 

The above Timetable is indicative only and Network Rail reserves the right to amend the programme or extend any period at its discretion. Registered Competitors will be notified by RIBA Competitions of any changes made to the programme.