VLM PUBLIC BIKES · AND RÉ 综合城市交通系统丨葡萄牙

INTEGRATED URBAN TRANSPORT SYSTEM

VLM PUBLIC BIKES

Client

Inframoura EM

Location

Vilamoura - Portugal

Completion Date

2012

Status

Completed

Coordination

Bruno André + Francisco Salgado Ré

INTRO

AND-RÉ, constantly concerned with the urban mobility, environmental sustainability and urban quality lifestyle issues, enthusiastically accepted the challenge of developing the design of the Public Bikes for the Portuguese city of Vilamoura.

The office was responsible for the overall design of the VILAMOURA PUBLIC BIKES, a system of shared bicycles.

The slick, light, white, pure and user friendly bike is a success among the citizens, that are massively adopting the bicycle system as primary means of transportation, changing the car for a ride in style.

AND-RÉ designed not only the bike itself, but all the graphic identity system, including logos, maps, informational columns or electronic cards. The bike was developed not only as a mere functional utensil, but as an iconographic representation of the territory and landscape. Designing a real democratic equipment as primary objective required great accuracy in ergonomic research and in the aesthetical language in order to achieve a unisex non-discriminatory product. Technically it was necessary to develop new pioneering solutions that synthesized the paraphernalia of elements that characterize public bicycles.

CONTEXT

The system is understood as part of an effective urban transport network in Vilamoura, a place of excellence for the use of bicycles. Vilamoura is a city of flat topography, with a mild climate throughout the year, extensive green spaces and a wide network of bikeways.

The current city philosophy, with several collaborations of AND-RÉ on various previous projects, consistently aims to the humanization of urban space, thereby returning the city to people.

Vilamoura offers now the possibility of using the bicycle as an effective alternative means of transport, throughout all the urban area.

THE PROJECT

The office produced a wide range of design aspects, from the overall design of the bicycles to the design of the graphic identity system, including logos, maps, informational columns or electronic cards.

We see the bike not only as a mere functional utensil, but as an iconographic representation of the territory and landscape. The object is therefore a statement, a symbol and a representation of the city identity.

The bike is the result of a debugged design, expressing lightness and purity. Technically it was necessary to develop new solutions that synthesized the paraphernalia of elements that normally characterize public bicycles. The concept aimed to minimize, hide and rethink all the elements, an approach that resulted in an innovative design of vintage inspirations.