DESIGN ON THE UP
Design that makes a statement about Toronto
If an airport is a city’s welcome mat, then what about the trip into the city? Union Station and Toronto Pearson are Canada’s largest and busiest transit hubs, serving millions of passengers annually. The current journey between the two, down the congested Gardiner Expressway, doesn’t say much about all that Toronto has to offer. But the Union Pearson Express will.
“We decided from the outset that we would create a service that was a statement to the world about Toronto’s emerging design sensibility,” says Kathy Haley, President of the UP Express. “We wanted to demonstrate to our local and international guests that excellence in design and customer service are alive and well in our city and province, and we knew we had the opportunity to raise the bar in the transport sector.”
Two principles then became the pillars of all design work: The first was to provide a clear sense of place for guests, so that there was no mistaking they were arriving in Toronto and Ontario. And the second was the commitment to providing an elevated experience, one that would lift moods and create a ‘transport oasis’ for weary, jetlagged travellers.
As the warm welcome and fond farewell to Toronto, UP Express celebrates the inherent beauty and changing seasons of Ontario. The sage greens, autumnal oranges and snowy greys are inspired by Ontario’s rolling deciduous forests, farms, copper mines and lake regions.
The brand identity itself reflects local origins, featuring a typeface designed by an early 20th-century Canadian graphic artist. And an illustration style for communication was developed to capture both the uniquely local charm and the worldclass taste built into the service.
Once these basic underpinnings of the brand were approved in early 2012, the next challenge was to ensure that these high standards remained consistent throughout the process as stations, trains and interiors were being built. Meticulous attention was paid to every aspect of the build through the UP brand lens. A design team was assembled early on to work closely with UP to maintain quality control and strict brand management, led by Canadian-born design thinker Tyler Brûlé and his agency, Winkreative.
Each station now proudly boasts a distinctly Ontarian inspiration through warm natural materials, frequent use of natural wood surfaces and soaring ceilings that let the sunshine in. Key architectural elements such as the prominent Y-shaped columns at the Pearson Terminal 1 UP platform and Union Station were inspired by Beaux Arts Era photographs of the original Union Station platforms. A team of respected architects collaborated to complete the designs of these stations in a way that ensures not only smooth traffic flow, but also a welcoming guest environment.
As an early indication that something remarkable was afoot with UP’s design vision, the build won “Concept of the Year” and “Project of the Year” at the 2014 Global Air Rail Awards, the industry award show that recognizes excellence in design and service in air, rail services around the world. Those who enjoy the world of logos and fonts will be interested to know that the lead typeface of the UP brand, Gibson, is a humanist sans serif created by Canadian designer Rod McDonald.
McDonald designed the typeface in 2011 in homage to his mentor John Gibson, one of Canada’s pioneering graphic artists, who passed away that year after a remarkable career in design and advertising.
Proceeds of the licensing of this font go to the Graphic Designers of Canada organization.