The Global Transit Design Archive is a forthcoming curatorial initiative dedicated to the preservation and study of public transport design in all its material richness. At its core lies a growing collection of original seat fabric samples from transit systems around the world — each a fragment of visual culture, wear, and movement.

By assembling these artifacts of daily infrastructure, the archive seeks to highlight the often-overlooked aesthetics of mass mobility and the socio-cultural meanings woven into their patterns. From metro systems and regional trains to buses and trams, the project invites reflection on how design shapes our collective experience of transit — and how, in turn, transit leaves its mark on design.