city image no. 009 – On every second postcard of Zurich, a Tram: Tram on the Quai bridge in front of Alpine panorama, Tram to Quai bridge in front of Fraumünster, the Tram on Limmatquai in front of the great Cathedral. With 250 vehicles on 14 lines, the Tram is a dominant Element in the city image, mobile furniture, which tends to in peak times, however nervousness.
The Zurich Tram is so pervasive that it should look because of its importance for the public space. However, what is presented to the transport companies two weeks ago as a novelty? A Tram, with its laterally rounded slice of the old bus shelter on the parade square and the Bellevue is like. A vehicle with excessive forehead and beaded base. And for 4,28 million Swiss francs per piece. Certainly, a Tram, the city centre is traveling does not have to have the aerodynamics of a TGV, but after movement it should look.
trams are also witnesses of the time. For example, the Mirage by Tram, here is a copy of the retired, in the Ukraine, but still in service. It was built in the ‘ 60s, as Zurich was a car city. Its robust, four schrötige Form reveals that it had to fight for his drive against the cars. Also, for the passengers, the Mirage was a struggle – a struggle against the force of gravity at the entry of the three steep steps.
A Mirage Tram at Bellevue. Image: port
The next model of the Tram of 2000, from the years 1978 to 1992 – has a completely different appearance: clear, slim, technical elegance. It is the self-consciousness of a privileged traffic radiates by means of, because Zurich has changed after the ‘ no ‘ to the U-Bahn in the year 1973 on the tram to the city.
still in operation: The Tram 2000. Image: Urs Jaudas
Then the Cobra Tram followed. It is the attempt of a spoiled city to make from a transport vehicle into a Spa experience. It should meet all the comfort requirements, among other things, with stepless entry, spot lighting above the Seats and with individually driven wheels against the curve, quiet.
Under the weight of all of these requirements, the small wheels are prone to deformation, which makes the silent Cobra sometimes a noisy rattlesnake. Also Zoological saw the Cobra is odd: it bears the name of a snake at the bow and stern, but with a duck beak.
Cobra-Tram, on the Quai bridge. Image: Beat Marti
And so now, the Tram called the Flexity of the company Bombardier has already been able to sell 1600 piece in all of the world. Flexible Flexity, in particular, the appearance of the Front is. While Blackpool, Vienna, Miami, Brisbane or Basel have chosen a streamlined version of Zurich on static glass wall, Windstopper, air brake. Why?
The Basel model a more dynamic muzzle than the Zurich edition. Image: Keystone/Patrick Straub
A bad assumption creeps in: This Tram is not supposed to look fast. It should Express what the passengers expected to: traffic jam, a standstill. The Zurich tram network is now overloaded already, where the car’s brakes, the Trams, blocking the Trams each other.
If soon the 100’000 additional inhabitants, which are projected on the lookout in the city, the Trams from a stain. This is why cars are equipped with load inside with plugs for the phone to kill Time. Zürich’s new Tram leaves ancestors: The future is viscous.
The column “city” is dedicated to all of the many things that have made it in Zurich in a public space is cozy and our image of this city to shape – for Good or for Bad. She always appears in the middle of the week.
Created: 27.11.2019, 15:22 PM
