Design of the AGV honoured by the Design Observeur
jury

The AGV , the fourth generation very high-speed train
from Alstom, has received an award for its design. The award,
presented at the 10th Design Observeur event held at the Paris
Cité des Sciences et de lindustrie on 23 October,
recognizes the achievement of Alstom Transport's
Design&Styling studio.

At the award ceremony, Xavier Allard, Alstom's
Director of Design, said that "this prize has been awarded to a
project that was conceived, developed and financed entirely by
Alstom." He went on to state that "this train has been designed
to appeal to and attract new customers in international
markets." 

Organized by the APCI (The French agency for
the promotion of industrial creation), the Design Observeur
annually rewards the best products deriving from collaboration
between companies and designers. The Design Observeur awards are
judged by an independent panel of businesspeople and experts who
recognize the most outstanding achievements of the
year. 

The AGV is built to achieve very high speeds,
so its design is guided by the laws of aerodynamics. It expresses
both simplicity and power by blending purity of line, fluidity of
form and structured volume. The highly distinctive monospace
driver's cab with its immense windscreen is clearly reminiscent
of the cockpit of a fighter plane, the epitome of very high
speed. The personality of the AGV is further asserted by its wide
shoulders, marked by air deflectors on the bogies, and its long
front overhang. Based on the principle of "personalizable space",
its interior offers future operator customers multiple
possibilities for tailor-made layouts.