Japan plans to debut a semi-transparent train in 2018 that blends so well into the environment, you may not even see it coming. According to Discovery, Kazuyo Sejima was recruited by Seibu Railway Co. to redesign the inside and outside of their Red Arrow commuter train that travels into Tokyo. Sejima designed the train with mirrored surfaces that reflect its environment, like a chameleon. The design aims to be "soft" and "blend into the landscape." The ‘invisible’ train celebrates Seibu Railway's 100th anniversary.
Fast Company reports this is the first train designed by Sejima, who was a recipient of the Pritzker, regarded as the Nobel Prize of architecture.
"I would like it to be a limited express where large numbers of people can all relax in comfort, in their own way, like a living room, so that they think to themselves 'I look forward to riding that train again,'" Sejima said in Seibu Group’s official press release (Via Fast. Co.).
The metallic train cars will reportedly feature cabins that look like a living room with a relaxed feel.
“The limited express 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 co-exist with this variety of scenery," Sejima said.
The trains are expected to debut in 2018.
