Wright – THE BEAUTY OF TRANSPORT – PARISIENE – PARIS = JOHNSTON – LONDON 2017

Description

Public transport networks struggle to present a single, cohesive visual identity because of phased construction and changing design regimes. London’s roundel and Johnston typeface give the Underground a famously consistent look, but historic variations persist. Paris, by contrast, long retained a patchwork of tiled nameplates and several typefaces—Métro Alphabet, RER Alphabet, Univers, Neue Helvetica—due to RATP’s late formation after WWII and piecemeal refurbishments. In 1997 RATP commissioned Jean-François Porchez to create Parisine, a narrow, legible face with mixed upper- and lower-case forms and distinctively Parisian details; Parisine Office followed in 2005 for print. Line 14’s re-signing established Parisine across Métro, RER, buses and trams, though some mode logos and older signage remain. In 2013 Porchez produced Parisine Giroûe for low-resolution LED displays; Parisine has also begun appearing abroad (Osaka). Meanwhile SNCF uses its Achemine typeface for national rail. The article contrasts Parisine’s growing ubiquity with Johnston’s enduring, London-bound identity and debates LED versus roller-blind legibility.