GCIS Bimonthly | Page 27

Japan plans to roll out a new kind of train in 2018 - but if people don’t look closely, they might miss it. That’s because the train has a mirrored exterior. Light will reflect, or bounce, off the surface, making the train nearly invisible. Designed by award winner Kazuyo Sejima, the commuter train uses semireflective and semi-transparent materials to blend into the scenery whether it's travelling through the city or the countryside. “The train travels in a variety of different sceneries, from the mountains of Chichibu to the middle of Tokyo, and I thought it would be good if the train could gently coexist with this variety of scenery,” Sejima said. The design will be launched on the current Red Arrow commuter train on a limited number of routes. - 27 -