Aspire Pre-Flight Hospitality, the airport hospitality brand of Swissport International, has collaborated with design students from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, to create a seating concept optimised for the needs of travellers in premium airport lounges.
Aspire conducted research that found that the three top priorities for customers when booking time in a lounge are calm, comfort and quality – especially after going through check-in, security, and a busy terminal area. Aspire then created a design brief for a new type of seat, with some specific considerations including giving the customer the ability to always see their luggage, useful surfaces for working, dining or leisure, adjustable mood-lighting, and a pleasing aesthetic.
Aspire invited around 20 student designers from Central Saint Martins to develop seating that would address these priorities in a new way. The students created concepts, which were presented to Aspire in a two-part judging process on-site at Central Saint Martins in central London.
The winning design was created by Aya Maria El Omeira, with a modular, curved multi-seat lounge system that combines, luxury, ergonomics and durability. The chair brings together privacy, intelligent integrated luggage storage, an integrated table, charging capabilities, and adjustable lighting.
Each seat is built on a reinforced steel frame, and finished in high-quality materials including solid walnut wood and supportive cushioning. The back of each chair is upholstered in Italian ‘intrecciato’ leather, created using a technique originating in Tuscany and Venice, whereby thin strips of soft leather are interlaced by hand to create a pattern that is flexible, durable and luxurious. The seats can be arranged ‘fore and aft’ to create space between seats and add visual interest.
“I designed for both physical and psychological comfort, anticipating guests’ needs to significantly elevate their lounge experience,” said Aya Maria El Omeira. “Another key feature of the design is its modularity, which means it can be deployed in different configurations depending on the lounge and space available. This has been such an interesting and thought-provoking project, and I’m thrilled that my chair has been chosen as the winning design.”
You can see another interesting concept by Aya Maria El Omeira HERE.
And get in touch with her via LinkedIn.
Jeff Doruff, stage leader, BA Product and Industrial Design at Central Saint Martins added, “This collaboration with Aspire and their dedicated team has given our students a valuable opportunity to work on a live design brief that places experience and comfort at the centre of the brand’s vision.
“The furniture designed by the BA Product and Industrial Design students has impressed us through its close consideration of people, culture, environment and use, from questions of manufacture through to the quality of interactions Aspire wants to create for its customers and staff. With Aspire’s encouragement and support, our diverse and talented students have developed the skills, knowledge and real-world experience that will help them excel in their future careers.”
