SOLARI CORPSOLARI DI UDINE SPASOLARI LINEADESIGN

#savethesign
30th Street Station,
The Solari Board will soon
be replaced.

THE VIEWPOINT OF THE PASSENGERS

The famous Split-flap display that stands in the middle of the Philadelphia 30th Street Station, produced by Solari di Udine, will soon be replaced by a digital board.

Many Journalists and Magazines wrote about this news, like Wired, Smithsonian, Metro, Philly, Philly Blog, CityLab, CBS Philly, PhillyVoice, WITF, The Washington Times, PRI etc.

The name and popularity of Solari comes from way back in 1725, the year in which the first document records the existence of the Fratelli Solari Company as an “Old and Prized Tower Clocking Industry”. From then on the company’s history is filled with many industrial successes. Believing in the power of an idea and transforming it into success: this is what the two brothers Fermo and Remigio Solari were able to achieve. They established their name worldwide in the fifties, bringing to prominence a company with great potential and bearer of innovative inventions, such as the split-flap system, which revolutionized standard methods of displaying time and information to the public, to the fore.

When the Solari brothers dynasty came to an end, the company management was in the hands of large industrial Groups. The the company property passed on to entrepreneur Dr. Massimo Paniccia who consequently made Solari today’s model of successful economics.

The search for perfection, the desire to reach unique solutions, multi-year experience at the service of every requirement: Solari’s prestige has been founded on these values for almost three centuries. Solari installed over 3000 systems worldwide, by which they move over 5.5 billion people every year.

When the CEO, Massimo Paniccia, had read all the articles and comments about the replacing of the flap board, was pleasantly surprised. “The best wish to the future of Our Company is that, in 40 or 50 years from now, someone in the world will be sad if one of the recently installed public information systems will be dismantled. This is our main focus and the reason of our choices; the search of perfection, both for the client and for the user. I recognize also the meaning and fascination of the displays and flip clocks, design icons throughout the world like the Cifra 3 (Ndr. part of the permanent collection of the London Science Museum, of the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York and, after November, of the Design Museum of London). Indeed, Solari re-launched in production his historical clocks, in order to enter the houses of every passenger.”

We collected, from Twitter, some comments expressed by the passengers:

come on @amtrak, don't replace the solari board at 30th Street in Philly. it's part of the city and its sound says "welcome home". @6abc
— Kabir Akhtar, ACE (@kabirakhtar) 27 agosto 2016

When function meets form, sometimes nostalgia loses. Are you sad to see Philly's clickety train station delay go? https://t.co/lUsk2aYAHx
— Korn Design (@korndesign) 19 settembre 2016

Can't believe they're getting rid of the sign at @Amtrak 30th Street Station #savethesign everything doesn't have to change 🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉🚉
— Poog (@lbgrant24) 26 agosto 2016

So sad 😢 "Say Bye to Those Awesomely Clackety #Train Station #Displays" | WIRED https://t.co/9GTZeW4xre
— Chaim Haas (@chaimhaas) 28 agosto 2016

Hey followers plz tweet @Amtrak that sight & sound of the Philly 30th St Station flip depart. sign must not be replaced ! #savethesign
— (((Hann23))) (@hann23) 25 agosto 2016

Plans to make new digital screens look and sound like the old: Say Bye to Those Clackety Train Station Displays https://t.co/3cIKG1QgRS
— Jason Cremins (@JasonCremins) 28 agosto 2016

But the Solari board enhances MY travel experience far more than digital! #Philadelphia #Amtrak
— Tony (@tony_pu) 25 agosto 2016

@Amtrak please don't replace the 30th street Philly Solari board. It has history and character
— uustat (@uustat) 31 agosto 2016

Amtrak: Do not replace the 30th Street Station Flipboard - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/LCcUFAGAmj via @Change
— Lizzie B. (@tiniestmonkey) 26 agosto 2016

People also started to share this amazing video, showing the details of the board and a slow-motion of the “clickety-clack” flaps.