FEATURE Q&A | |
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Ciara Crossan, Transport Creative Manager at Camira First established as Holdsworth in 1822, Camira is a transport textile manufacturer with two centuries’ experience. Following a tumultuous period in the industry, we spoke with Transport Creative Manager Ciara Crossan about the trends the company has observed following the Coronavirus pandemic, and the influence these have on the textiles they create Have you noticed any changes in the way in which rail interiors are being designed following the Coronavirus pandemic? Could you tell us about these? I think that the isolation and crowd avoidance that was required during the various periods of lockdown has impacted upon the way in which many passengers feel when travelling. For example, people may feel increased levels of anxiety when travelling during busy times in compact carriages, and, as we slowly begin to return en masse to the office, operators are working to address the impact the past 24 months has had upon our daily lives and make the commute to work as appealing – and relaxing – as possible. One of the first to implement a solution, in October 2021 the Docklands Light Railway in London announced the launch of twelve carriages dedicated to mindfulness – equipped with meditation corners and designed with natural scenes, such as forests, across the interior walls – and we’re certainly beginning to see an increased desire for carriages to be calming, soothing spaces; places where passengers can take a moment to unwind, rather than feeling as though they must be permanently switched on and connected to their devices. As part of this shift in what passengers want, carriages are now being designed to embrace the natural world – there’s a reason why biophilia has remained such a popular form of design, it has been proven time and time again that an increased connection to our environment reduces our levels of stress and anxiety – and this is certainly feeding through into rail interiors more than ever before. Part of this is through the colours chosen for the space, tones of green and brown are becoming more popular, as seen in the DLR project, and also through other design elements, such as increasing the levels of natural light in carriages. Whilst artificial Rail Professional
