The Ocean-Blue Train
Ten railway carriages of the theater Das Letzte Kleinod are based at the historic railway station of Geestenseth (Lower Saxony, Germany). With the ocean-blue train, the artist group performs theater projects by rail. The 130 meter long train has been extensively refurbished and is licensed to be moved on the public rail network. In four sleeping cars, a total of up to 17 participants can currently live in single cabins, in each car there are showers and toilets. A dining car has up to 32 seats, in a modern commercial kitchen 120 people can be supplied during the day. On the train, there is also a theater studio, an office, workshops and a freight car for theater technology.
The refurbishment was made possible by the support of the N-Bank and the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. Geestenseth station is on the railway line from Bremerhaven to Buxtehude. In the historic railway station from 1899, the production facility of the theater Das Letzte Kleinod is based. The plays are being produced and rehearsed in the signal box, the waiting rooms, the storage and the waggons itself before they are performed at home and abroad.
Pictures of the train
Setting up the train
10 STUDENTS, 7 DESIGNS
In March 2012, 10 architecture students lived in the ocean-blue train for three days and learned about the needs of the moving flat-sharing. They learned a lot about the train and its technology – and helped with removing the core of one wagon. They collected ideas, discussed and rejected them again – and after twelve weeks of hard work on June 19, 2012, seven completely different designs for the redesign of the entire train were presented. Of course in the train!
At the beginning of their work, the students wrapped their first association in sketches and mood photos to determine the direction in which the design should go. "Moodboards" is what architects call it.
With a precise measurement and the view from above, the design process began. Different divisions are possible besides the relatively small area .
Long narrow rooms, different needs, changing residents with little time – and yet a feeling of home? To reconcile this was the goal of the young interior designers.
What the students were allowed to experience firsthand: The kitchen and the dining car have a very special place in the train life.
Plus: In the new train the residents my take a shower! Almost all designs offer cozy sitting areas and rooms to relax.
An important requirement for all designs was to create a car which can be flexibly used as a theater stage and a utility room.
So that not only plays can be staged but also written on the train, a complete wagon is designed as an author's studio. This car is basically self-sufficient and can be used as a separate small apartment.
Many design although considered an outdoor area. One project even proposes balconies and a private garden cart.