Full Steam Ahead: Behind The Design Of A High-Speed Train In France

Since its inauguration in 1981, the TGV high-speed train has been one of France’s prides and joys. It travels up to 198 miles per hour, reducing time between Paris and Bordeaux to just over 2 hours (about 6 by car). The design has been a vital component of its success. Both French, Roger Tallon oversaw the initial interiors, while Christian Lacroix refreshed in 2005. Today, they exhibit a slightly Japanese sensibility, courtesy of Nendo.

The theme for the new look, Flow, is derived from the analogy that TGVs speed across the landscape like a streaming river. The seats’ rounded forms are like pebbles, while their gradated color schemes—Bordeaux tones for first class, cooler blue for second—darken from top to bottom, like looking into deep water. Now thinner to provide more space between rows, they’re also fitted with adjustable headrests. Ionna Vautrin’s Moustache table lamps have been replaced with bright-yellow versions that resemble manga characters, and there’s a two-story bar called Bistro. The exterior, overhauled by AREP, is equally sci-fi-esque and more environmentally focused, its longer, aerodynamic nose and reflective paint colors helping to reduce energy requirements. No wonder it has been renamed TGV Inoui, French for amazing.