Before He Was S’pore’s Only Winter Olympics 2026 Rep, He Went Viral For His Redesign Of The MRT Map
Before his Winter Olympics dreams, Faiz Basha once had a vision for a cleaner, redesigned MRT map, which was a hit among netizens.
Alpine skier Faiz Basha is Singapore's lone representative at the Winter Olympics 2026, and the 23-year-old is currently in Bormio, Italy, preparing to compete in two alpine skiing events at the Stelvio Ski Centre on February 14 and 16.
He is the first Singaporean to qualify by merit for a snow event and Singapore's second Winter Olympian after short track speed skater Cheyenne Goh at PyeongChang 2018.
But did you know Faiz was already turning heads back in 2019 for something completely unrelated?
Yes, he was the guy who went viral for redesigning Singapore’s MRT map — unofficially — when he was just 17, with netizens praising his version for being more user-friendly.
While studying at the International School of Geneva (Ecolint) in 2019, he went viral for making an unofficial redesign of the MRT map. He reimagined our entire rail network with sleek concentric circles, rounded edges, and a clean, modern aesthetic that made the transport maze look like minimalist art.
Overachiever alert: Faiz produced, not one, but three versions: one of the 2019 network, one including planned lines, and a futuristic 2030 concept.
And he did all this while juggling schoolwork.
Netizens were obsessed, with many saying they preferred his design to the official one.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) offered him an internship where he was involved in wayfinding projects which improve navigation for commuters, pedestrians, and cyclists.
When LTA rolled out a new system map in 2020, they acknowledged Faiz’s contributions, even adopting a circular layout for the Circle Line to improved fonts, and correct geographical inconsistencies.
Not bad for a teenager who just wanted a nicer-looking train map.
In an interview with CNA recently, Faiz, who is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland while training for the Winter Olympics, talked about his love for all things transport.
“I've always liked trains and planes, I'm quite nerdy when it comes to those things. And I always found the old Singapore MRT map to be quite aesthetically unpleasing. So, I had a go at designing it myself,” he said in the interview.
Photos: LTA, faizthegatebasher/IG
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