The TfL Cupboard Filled with Lost Tube Moquettes
4 days ago
- #moquette designs
- #unused patterns
- #London transport
- A cupboard at TfL's Stratford office contains 'lost moquettes'—unused fabric designs intended for London transport upholstery.
- Moquette designs often change after manufacturing due to color discrepancies between digital screens and woven results, requiring physical samples like a 'colour blanket'.
- Notable unused designs include variants by Paul Nash in the 1930s, a Metropolitan line moquette with a 'rhubarb-and-custard' effect, and Pat Barrow's Victoria line design.
- These rejected patterns represent alternative realities for London's transport aesthetics and could have subtly influenced passengers' moods and experiences.
- The collection appeals to melancholic 'transport geeks' who appreciate the beauty and stories behind designs that were never implemented.