Not to be outdone by Italian style house Pininfarina, whose non-automotive
arm, Pininfarina Extra, has
lately entered into the field of executive-jet interior design (working
with the Florida-based Aero Toy
Store), BMW — through its Los Angeles studio, DesignworksUSA
— has unveiled another project for the Brazilian jet manufacturer Embraer. This
interior, which follows up cabin designs for Embraer’s Phenom
100 and Phenom
300, is intended for the company’s line of medium-range jets. It
features a full galley and lavatory and a very Teutonic, tech-heavy
lounge-style cabin with lay-flat seats, deployable tables, and muted
lighting.
See photos after the break and read the full release, courtesy of
BMW.
BMW GROUP DESIGNWORKSUSA POSITIONS ITSELF AS A TRENDSETTER
IN AIRCRAFT DESIGN
BMW Group DesignworksUSA positions itself as a trendsetter in
aircraft design.
Having created two award-winning design solutions for business
jets, the global design consultancy now convinces with a further
trendsetting design for Embraer. The Brazilian manufacturer is one of
the world’s largest aircraft companies.
Munich. At this year’s international aircraft show held in Atlanta
by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) from September
25th - 27th, BMW Group DesignworksUSA caused quite a stir with their
groundbreaking design of a medium-range aircraft built by the Brazilian
company Embraer. The innovative styling is the follow-up to the
consultancy’s two outstanding and successful design solutions created
for the business jets Phenom 100 and 300 produced by Embraer. The awards
given for these designs included the renowned iF Product Design Award
2007. Embraer is one of the world’s largest aircraft builders.
“It was our desire to create the same trendsetting and sophisticated
design as for the Phenom 100 and 300 aircraft,” explained Verena Kloos,
President of BMW Group DesignworksUSA. In addition to outstanding
aesthetics, the concept was to provide a degree of comfort unparalleled
in this segment and to exceed the expectations of the client and the
end-consumer alike. “Our team carried out an in-depth investigation into
modern living interiors and exclusive hospitality concepts in order to
establish a genuinely new standard for the medium-range aircraft
segment.”
Innovative design concept: “Intelligent Luxury”.
“Intelligent Luxury” is the name of the concept the team at BMW
Group DesignworksUSA implemented for Phenom business jets. With this new
design the consultancy went a step further and upgraded the standard
for a medium-range aircraft built to carry passengers in comfort from
the West Coast to the East Coast of North America. When developing this
innovative styling, the designers stringently questioned the traditional
conception of luxury. The consultancy realized that parameters
associated with it in the past, such as opulence, hierarchy and
symbolism, were no longer significant in a world that has become very
complex. The holistic design strategy regards the interior of an
aircraft as a space in which to relax and spend personal time freely.
Therefore, new values such as connectivity, integrity and authenticity
are conveyed.
Following the “Intelligent Luxury” strategy, various teams at BMW
Group DesignworksUSA have created a lounge-like atmosphere for the
interior of the medium-range aircraft, where generously sized windows
convey a feeling of open space inside the cabin, in which passengers can
move around in comfort standing upright. Moreover, completely newly
designed seats provide an air of lightness and sensuality, rising above
conventional lounge seats by featuring an elegant and comfortable
body-contour design. Further innovations are the flexible, swing-out
tables and the attractive entertainment area with a three-seat divan.
Storage spaces are discreetly concealed behind high-quality
panels; these accentuating the distinctive, both stylishly puristic and
becalming character of the overall design. Cabin and cockpit have been
designed to form one single unit. The cockpit is equipped with aesthetic
and concise state-of-the-art aviation technology. Large-size displays
featuring advanced graphics are located in the center.
“The final design immediately conveys a feeling of unparalleled
comfort and convinces through simplicity and sensual elegance,” says
Gerhard Steinle, Director of Transportation Design at BMW Group
DesignworksUSA. “It surprises with intelligent design solutions and
impresses with a discerning eye for detail.” The range of colours and
materials, which can indeed be associated with premium cars of the BMW
Group, offers the client a varied choice of options. Here we also find
innovative solutions that render the production process more efficient -
a further positive asset.
BMW Group DesignworksUSA: Uncompromisingly sophisticated
design.
Based in Los Angeles with studios in Munich and Singapore, BMW
Group DesignworksUSA operates as a subsidiary of the BMW Group with more
than 35 years of cross industry expertise in design strategy, design
research, brand communication, colors, materials, and finish, product
development, 3D modelling and engineering. In addition to the BMW Group
in the automotive field, the consultancy’s clients include a number of
leading companies in the sectors transportation, consumer electronics,
IT, medical as well as the consumer products and lifestyle industry.