In today’s global culture slowness finds few commercial expressions.  Consumerism, by its nature, has a default fastness driven by embedded economic, political and social paradigms.  Perhaps, there are commercial sectors where slowness plays an important part, such as slowness found in tourism, and maybe an ultra-slowness in eco-tourism.  The beauty of slowness is, however, that there will always be aspects of slowness beyond the realm of commercial dominance.  When ‘slow’ is seen as a positive ambition, and design is assigned or takes on the task of creating slowness, then design assumes a political dimension, becomes a catalyst for behavioural change and acts as a counterweight to the aforementioned controlling paradigms

Slow Rider, France by Olivier Peyricot – A single driver in an average family saloon car can travel at speeds of up to 100mph.  A remarkable feat that our forebears would marvel at, but they would be less impressed with the fact that only 2% of the fuel pumped into the tank at the petrol station actually goes to moving the driver.  Ninety-eight percent of the petrol is lost in evaporation, incomplete combustion, as heat, through transmission, wind resistance and road friction losses, and moving the deadweight of the car.  Peyricot questions our love of speed as traffic in cities worldwide slows to a crawl that horse-drawn carriages would have found boring.  Slow Rider offers a sedate but efficient form of transport.  Take out the in-efficient car engine and any associated, but unwanted, weight.  Install a modest engine from a domestic lawnmower and, hey presto, you can drive along at a maximum speed of 15mph, enjoy the scenary or the occasional daydream and still arrive in time for your rendevous.

Low Living, The Netherlands by Gonnie Constansia – Here’s a cocoon and a cuddly cushion to soothe away our troubles.  Spool knitting techniques from the maritime craft heritage find new expression in these tactile woolly objects.  Turn off the heating, switch off our brain and climb into the warm embracing sleeve.  Escape information overload.  Enter dreamland.

Veloland Schweiz, Switzerland – Take a slow cycle on 4,000 miles (6,300km) of a network of national, regional and local trails.  Skip between segments of the cycleway by leaving your bicycle at SBB railway stations, jump on the train, alight at your destination and pick up another hire bicycle.  This integrated cycle-rail transport system promises to de-accelerate users over weekend breaks or a summer vacation.  Plan and book your route online via Veloland’s web site and enjoy detailed guides for selected routes.  Seriously slow, fun and healthy Veloland makes cycling easy.
Dunescape, New York, USA – In the swealtering heat of a New York summer, just outside the temporary home of the Museum of Modern Art emerged a lyrical wooden structure complete with water droplet misters.  Welcome to Dunescape a temporary landscape which became a popular meeting place for stressed out city dwellers.  Welcome to the land of make believe, where transporation to exotic climes is performed with the squinting of eyes.  Here’s a space for prevention not cure, a remedy for the malady of city life.  Life’s a beach.

©2004, 2005 Alastair Fuad-Luke. All rights reserved.