A jury of the prestigious international Red Dot Design Award competition, held each year in the German city of Essen, has awarded the Red Dot 2019 to the blue T3 Coupé sightseeing tram for Prague from the studio of designer Anna Marešová.

Organised by the German Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, the Red Dot Award competition has run since 1955 and grants awards for exceptional products in industrial and product design

The T3 Cope tram is leased out to provide rides through the city and is based on the tradition of the original and legendary Tatra T3 tram, designed by František Kardaus (1908–1986).  By incorporating luxury touches and modern technologies in the iconic vehicle, Anna Marešová and her designers have elevated the iconic vehicle to a new level while aiming to preserve the romance of the 1960’s.

Built in the Hostivař depot of the Prague Public Transport Company, the T3 Coupé offers riders both the experience of riding through Prague in a semi-open vehicle as well as enjoyment from the stylish interior. The studio Marešová designers took most inspiration from the original T3, but they also looked at older types of trams for ideas.

The interior features a bar, which was taken from the T1 tram, where it served as the ticket counter. Roof windows, were inspired by those in legendary RTO buses. A ticket punch in the tram enables passengers to use their original T3 Coupé tickets.

It was important to Ms Maserova that she referenced T3 coupe in the name of the sightseeing tram. “The T3 Coupe is a kind of old timer. It has a single door, so I looked to automobiles when it came to naming the tram,” she said.