Need to Know
20 : 12 : 22

Spain – Steering away from the conventional automobile showroom, Lynk & Co has unveiled a versatile 400-square-metre space in Barcelona intended as an experiential meeting point.

Designed by the creative studio Masquespacio, the project aims to reflect the creativity and unconventional character of the car brand, which offers a range of flexible, membership-based mobility solutions.

As such, The Barcelona Club serves as a creative and sustainable meeting place described as ‘a world of utopias’, where visitors experience a hyperphysical immersion into the brand’s universe. The brutalist décor of the space is intentionally full of imperfections to inspire surprise, with elements like a trompe-l’oeil swimming pool in the co-working area or a show of lights and sounds in the bathrooms.

Lynk & Co’s versatile space in Barcelona is reminiscent of a concept store or a members’ club rather than a showroom, paving the way for disruptive automotive retail spaces providing sensorial awe-inducing experiences to attract a new wave of consumers.

Global – As more members of Generation Z become parents, they are applying their progressive views on gender and identity to their parenting style, paving the way for new, gender-neutral approaches to raising a child.

‘Beyond pink and blue’ has been named by image discovery platform Pinterest as a visual trend to watch in 2023 as part of its annual Pinterest Predicts report. Despite taking root in an aesthetic trend, insights suggest a deeper shift, with younger generations moving away from binary gender narratives and approaching parenting on their own terms.

Data shows increasing interest in gender-fluid parenting, as searches for unisex names nearly doubled from September 2020 to September 2022. Young parents are also turning to Pinterest for inspiration and advice on how to address gender diversity or the use of pronouns with their kids, with searches for gender flags (+285%) or self-identity art (+75%) soaring in the same period.

Resources such as educational books or art activities that help to address gender topics and steer free from stereotypes will be valuable tools for next-gen parents as Gen Z begin to enter the Parenting Market.