The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Design Museum (London), have launched a design competition. With Network Rail, inviting proposals for the design of a timepiece to be used across the British rail network.

Anthony Dewar, Head of Buildings and Architecture at Network Rail, explained:

“The  British railway was integral to the standardization of time across the world but unlike other countries, Britain did not implement a standard railway clock. We hope this competition will put that right with the creation of a timepiece that can be adapted for use across the whole rail network – from stations to maintenance delivery units, railway control centers to train depots.

“The winning entrant will need to be an inspired design, which can be cost-effectively implemented at scale and adaptable to a wide variety of settings. This a unique opportunity to create a design that could have a highly visible and enduring legacy.”

Justin McGuirk, Chief Curator, of the Design Museum & Director of Future Observatory commented:

“An awareness of time is crucial to the experience of being in a train station. This is an extraordinary opportunity to redesign that experience. Instead of everyone being ensconced in their phones, how can we return time to its central presence in stations, with a civic purpose and a strong sense of place? The Design Museum is delighted to be collaborating with Network Rail on this international competition.’’

The competition is open internationally to practitioners within the fields of art, design, engineering, and/or architecture.  Submissions are also welcome from students from these disciplines.  Collaboration is encouraged between individuals and organizations of different size, expertise, and experience.

The competition brief has been developed in collaboration with industry design experts including Margaret Calvert, Crispin Jones, and Violetta Boxill, who will all form part of an Evaluation Panel.

To view the full competition brief and for details on how to register please visit https://ribacompetitions.com/nr-timepiece.

The closing date for submission of design proposals is 12.00hrs (BST) on Tuesday 13 June 2023.