Metro cube goes on display at London’s design museum

One of the iconic Metro cubes from the Tyne and Wear Metro can currently be seen in London as part of an exhibition celebrating the work of pioneering graphic designer Margaret Calvert at the Design Museum.

Margaret Calvert designed the “eponymous, solid font which has become an iconic and instantly recognisable symbol of Metro” and is still seen at stations and will also feature prominently on the new fleet of trains due to be introduced from 2023.

The exhibition of the Design Museum in London looks at Margaret Calvert’s wider achievements which includes the familiar pictograms and signage for the national road network and the font used on the national rail network.

Huw Lewis, Nexus Customer Services Director, said: “Margaret Calvert is one of the most important graphic designers of the last 100 years.  Alongside her work on national road and rail signage here in North East England we owe her a particular debt. The visual identity Margaret created through her distinctive font design is truly iconic – it is as timeless as that of the London Underground and embodies the unique pride our region has for Metro as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. When Metro was built local politicians and planners wanted it to have a whole new feel to set it apart as a modern urban transit system like nothing seen before in Britain.  Margaret Calvert’s work on the visual identity helped achieve that. The Calvert font has a sturdy character to it which reflects the character of North East England. I think that’s why it has more than stood the test of time to help make Metro part of everyday life. We have been proud to work with the Design Museum to help tell the story of Margaret Calvert’s lifelong achievements, and it is fitting that a Metro cube should appear in London for the first time as part of that.”

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