Prague’s iconic tram gets a modern makeover

Tourist love getting around on throwback modes of transportation—think about San Francisco’s trollies or New York’s special edition subways. If it looks old but functions like new, even better.

Designer Anna Marešová is following in that tradition with the “T3 Coupé,” a modern riff on the old-school trams that have long zipped across Prague in the Czech Republic. She worked with the Prague Public Transport Company to model the T3 after the Tatra T3, the iconic tram designed by František Kardaus in the 1960s.

Photo: Petr Hejna via Designboom

Marešová updated the design with finishings like light wood floors, sleek white seats, and curved windows at the top of the tram that creates a feeling of riding in the open air. She also retained old-school features like a ticket punch, since riders will be given original T3 tickets.

Photo: Petr Hejna via Designboom

The T3 Coupé is effectively a party tram that can take tourists sightseeing and be rented for special occasions. So naturally, Marešová’s design also includes a bar, which also happens to be a nod to the T1 tram that had a separate ticket counter.