The noise barrier from Czech Republic takes home the coveted Red Dot Design Award
A molding made of recycled rubber glued to a sandwich panel. This is one way to simply describe the noise barrier Noba digi mini series from mmcité+. Though noise barriers are just common structural elements along roads and railways, the one from Czech Republic is downright alluring - as proven by winning this year’s prestigious Red Dot Design Award. These global prizes for product and communication design have been awarded since 1955.
mmcité+ is a company that designs and builds train and bus stations, bus stops and stations. Its portfolio includes noise barriers, the result of its own development. "We see ourselves as a group of people who enjoy bringing design into transport infrastructure. Winning the Red Dot is like a sign along our path...affirmation that we’re heading in the right direction," says designer and board chairman of mmcité+ Radek Hegmon.
The company has been supplying noise barriers since 2017. It is a unique concept. The basis is a sandwich panel filled with foam. Absorbers made from recycled rubber are glued on to it. The rubber comes from shredded old tires. Only last year, this saved over 183,000 tires from being dumped in a landfill. Meanwhile, using recycled material is no compromise. The noise barriers from Bílovice surpass all requirements for acoustic parameters.
The walls with the trade name noba are produced in several patterns. For example, the award-winning mini noba digi comes from graphics based on custom digital imaging. So it can be a kind of canvas for the public space. This was one of the reasons why the jury awarded it the Red Dot Award. The jury in fact judged one example of this noise barrier whose "finishing touches" were put on by local children. It was installed in 2019 in Ostrava-Poruba. "The very effort to get involved in shaping the public space of the local community was one of the motivations in developing the design of noba digi. We wanted to offer a wall that does not divide but unites,” explains board vice-chairman Petr Vavrouška.
Trifecta for Bílovice
The award bestowed upon the noba digi noise barrier is not the only one in this year's Red Dot Design Award to make its way to the address Bílovice 519. The same success was garnered by the slalom skis DIP SL with matching Maggot ski bag. This is a product of the sister company Egoé move. The pinnacle of success however goes to yet another Bílovice sister company, Egoé nest. Its built-in camping nestbox won the highest award of all, Red Dot Best of the Best. "This attribute, a winemaker might say, is a sort of selection of berries. Because it is only bestowed to around 1.5% of all registered products,” describes Richard Vodicka, head of studio 519. It is this company that functions as a “design supplier” for mmcité + and the Egoé group.
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