Kirkby Design - Underground Collection

Velvets by

To celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the London Underground, Kirkby Design have collaborated with Transport for London (TfL) to recreate five iconic moquette designs originally used for seating fabric across the Underground and wider TfL network.

Transport for London is steeped in a history of innovative design, built on the convictions of one man, Frank Pick, who rose to become the Managing Director of London Transport. Pick believed in design excellence and commissioned work of the highest quality from station architecture to poster design. Under Pick’s direction, special upholstery designs were first commissioned in the 1930s by Christian Barman, London Transport’s publicity officer. Artists included Enid Marx, Marion Dorn and Paul Nash. The design brief emphasised that designs should draw on colours which responded well to artificial light and patterns which took into account wear and tear. The resulting moquette patterns were predominately geometric and utterly contemporary; a complete change from the floral patterns previously produced. These new designs were used on a variety of surface and tube stock, buses and trolleybuses during this period. This tradition of commissioning moquette designs has continued over the years and has resulted in strikingly original seating fabrics, creating a distinguished visual identity for the corporation.

Woven using viscose yarns to produce a luxurious handle, the designs selected have been stripped back and re-coloured in Kirkby Design’s signature palette, encapsulating the spirit of the original designs whilst adding a contemporary twist to suit modern tastes. Design sources include iconic 1930s London buses, 1950s Green Line coaches and Tube seating from the 1970s and 1990s.

District

4

Marylebone

8

Piccadilly 12

16

Southbank 20

cushions from left: k5097/03 district blackberry, k5096/07 bakerloo kingfisher, k5098/08 marylebone lime, k5098/06 marylebone eden, k5096/05 bakerloo neon orange, k5099/02 piccadilly havana.

Bakerloo

4

District

armchair: k5097/01 district gold. cushion left: k5096/11 bakerloo jet black. cushion right: k5096/10 bakerloo magnet.

District Designed by the prolific Architect and Designer Misha Black, this brightly coloured block design was first introduced on the London Underground’s District line (D78 stock) in the late 1970s to complement the brighter finishes within the carriage interiors.

The fabric was also used on most new buses entering service in London, notably the large fleets of Metrobus and Titan types. In 1983, the design was introduced on new Underground trains on the Jubilee Line and fast became a subconscious icon of the city.

5

6

District

7

armchair: k5097/01 district gold. cushion: k5096/10 bakerloo magnet.

8

Marylebone

seat cushion left: k5098/08 marylebone lime. seat cushion right: k5098/06 marylebone eden.

Marylebone This design was developed in the late 1930s to be used on the new batch of RT-type London buses delivered between 1939 and 1942. This model was the forerunner of nearly 7,000 buses of its type which dominated the streets of London in the 1950s and 1960s.

9

10

Marylebone

cushion back: k5098/08 marylebone lime. cushion front: k5098/06 marylebone eden.

11

cube footstools from back: k5098/08 marylebone lime, k5099/04 piccadilly ruby, k5097/03 district blackberry, k5096/07 bakerloo kingfisher, k5099/06 piccadilly eden, k5098/05 marylebone neon orange.

12

Southbank

sofa: k5100/08 southbank lime. cushion: k5098/08 marylebone lime.

Southbank After World War II, London Transport’s bus and coach fleet was out-dated and rather careworn after nearly 6 years of continuous conflict and the rigors of wartime service. A new fleet of coaches were ordered for London Transport’s Green Line coach service and thus a new and elegant moquette was commissioned. This design was also used on a small fleet of Private Hire coaches which were ordered to run tours to and from the iconic Festival of Britain at London’s South Bank in 1951. It remained in use for several years.

13

14

Southbank

15

sofa: k5100/08 southbank lime. cushion: k5096/10 bakerloo magnet.

16

Piccadilly

armchair left: k5099/05 piccadilly neon orange. armchair right: k5099/07 piccadilly kingfisher.

Piccadilly The 1973 Tube stock which serves the Piccadilly line underwent a huge refurbishment in 1997.

This intricate, geometric design was introduced as part of this refurbishment to co-ordinate with the new carriage interiors.

17

18

Piccadilly

cube footstools from left: k5096/07 bakerloo kingfisher, k5098/08 marylebone lime, k5099/06 piccadilly eden, k5099/04 piccadilly ruby, k5098/05 marylebone neon orange, k5097/03 district blackberry.

19

armchair front: k5099/07 piccadilly kingfisher. armchair back: k5099/05 piccadilly neon orange.

20

Bakerloo

cushions from left: k5098/05 marylebone neon orange, k5099/02 piccadilly havana, k5096/05 bakerloo neon orange, k5096/10 bakerloo magnet. seat cushion: k5098/07 marylebone kingfisher.

Bakerloo Designed in the 1960s, this geometric moquette design consists of staggered rectangular shapes. It was used extensively to refurbish trains from the late 1930s serving the Bakerloo, Northern, Piccadilly, East London and Central Underground lines. It worked particularly well with interiors featuring polished wood panelling and cerulean blue paintwork.

21

22

with thanks to‌

www.atomicinteriors.co.uk www.benchmarkfurniture.com www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk

european distribution

romo contact information

romo austria 0800-070 001

romo italy +39 011 24 842 70

uk sales +44 1623 756699

romo@romo.de

info@romoitalia.it

sales@romo.com

romo belgium +32 2 513 02 61

romo netherlands +31 30 605 3218

export sales +44 1623 755881

info@intede.be

salesnl@romo.com

export@romo.com

romo czech republic +420 777 017 199

romo norway +47 2308 5770

usa sales +1800 338 2783

info@beautifulhomes.cz

post@marathon.no

info@romousa.com

romo denmark +45 8752 0464

romo poland +48 22 395 5225

carlsen@carlsentextil.dk

sales@decodore.pl

london showroom

finland +358 9 260 660

romo portugal +351 914115125

kangastilaukset@orientoccident.fi

formaenredo@gmail.com

112 design centre chelsea harbour, london sw10 0xe london.showroom@romo.com

romo france +33 1 60 56 98 03

romo spain +34 938 644996

romo.france@angely-paris.com

comercial.romo.abi2@gmail.com

new york showroom

romo germany +49 89 89 666 160

romo sweden +46 325 10393

romo@romo.de

info@casarosa.se

979 third avenue, suite 1703, new york, ny 10022 usa info@romousa.com

hungary +36 30 990 6222

romo switzerland 0800 677 518

request@jensen-interior.com

export@romo.com (french speaking)

florida showroom

iceland +354 568 4545

romo switzerland 0800 070 006

bolstrarinn@islandia.is

romo@romo.de (german speaking)

1855 griffin road, suite c162, dania beach, fl 33004, usa info@romousa.com

chicago showroom

international distribution australia +61 3 9882 7238

mexico +52 55 5660 8402

sales@marcofabrics.com.au

infolvm@prodigy.net.mx

brazil +55 11 30625725

middle east +971 4 351 7168

vendas_cd@globo.com

design.coordinates@eim.ae

romo canada +1855 543 7666

new zealand +64 9309 6411

info@romocanada.com

sales@seneca.co.nz

china +86 10 8427 0361

russia +7 495 651 8121

marketing@china-euroart.com

sales@aht-textile.ru

colombia +572 3966817

romo south africa +27 11 262 4167

dekor_group@hotmail.com

sales@romosouthafrica.com

hong kong +852 3525 1785

taiwan +886 2 2521 4588

sales@wallpaperplus.com.hk

info@estilo.com.tw

india +971 4 355 4867

turkey +90 216 365 9531

office@warpsandwefts.com

import@persan.com.tr

japan +81 3379 27611

romo usa toll free 800 338 2783

webmaster@manas.co.jp

info@romousa.com

222 merchandise mart plaza, suite 6152, chicago, illinois 60654, usa info@romousa.com

boston showroom 1 Design Center Place, Suite 528, Boston MA 02210, usa info@romousa.com

credits Archive images Š Transport for London reproduced by kind permission of the London Transport Museum. Ž Transport for London Registered User No 12/4956