Road ready: Installation combines textiles with auto design

Milan – German auto manufacturer BMW has collaborated with Danish textiles company Kvadrat on an installation at Milan Design Week.

‘The Dwelling Lab’, designed by Patricia Urquiola and Giulio Ridolfo, allows visitors to explore the interior of a BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo through five large cones attached to the vehicle’s side panels. The cones, which allow viewers to get a perspective of the car’s interior from outside, were created by Kvadrat and feature the company’s internationally known textile materials.

Shown as part of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, the installation also suggests how design could be used to provide a strikingly different customer experience in an auto showroom. New retail concepts such as this are explored further in our recent Beyond Retail trend report.

LS:N Global will be reporting from Salone Internazionale del Mobile and publishing the top exhibitions, products and trends throughout the week.