@ WORK

Questioning nomadic work

In a society that is constantly on the move, AREP designlab is working to make train stations part of the weft of life. French rail company SNCF Gares & Connexions is developing a diverse range of in-station services to suit the expectations of travellers and non-travellers alike. AREP designlab's designers are exploring tools and spaces for these new services.
Installation of the fresco gallery in Paris Gare de Lyon | (C) David Bellec

The hot topic in the world of management is agility. Human resource departments talk of the strict constraints of insurance policies. Internet pundits put out inspirational content on ‘digital nomads’. Clearly, twenty-first century man is on the move, inventing ephemeral work spaces as he does so, creating electronic offices on his smartphone.

 

For the 10th Biennale Internationale Design exhibition in Saint-Etienne, France, on the theme of “shifting work paradigms”, installations that ask questions of nomadic work practices have been set up in Saint-Etienne Châteaucreux and Paris-Lyon train stations and will run until 17 April 2017.

Installation of Paris Gare de Lyon
Installation of Saint-Etienne Châteaucreux

Observing how users interact with this tool

Travellers and local residents are free to experiment with these workstations. Functionalities are there to be used, and, with an eye on permanent research, the AREP designlab teams are observing and studying the arrangement. The aim is to enrich our knowledge of nomadic work and test our intuitions about the fertility of stations as meeting places and as possible hubs of city life.

Tell us about your experience at #Travailengare

 

A service provider, a company director, a job seeker and a recruiter, a craftsman and an engineer... they’re all heading for different places but they all pass each other every day at the station. This space is for their use.

 

 

For a debriefing meeting, a job interview, the weekly team update:

Use these spaces and let us know how you feel about them, what you don’t like, and what you would #travailengare