Kvadrat, the leading Danish textile manufacturer, has collaborated with BMW on an innovative project that explores the interior and exterior of the new BMW Gran Turismo 5 GT, modifying the visual and functional perception of the vehicle. The project will look at the different ways in which textiles can be used, offering an experience that is new and surprising.

 

Kvadrat and BMW commissioned leading designers Patricia Urquiola and Giulio Ridolfo to create the Dwelling Lab installation. Through five geometrical cones, impacted in the car, the interior explodes outside from five different points of view. This produces a sense of surprise and a unique visual and sensory experience. Textile is the fundamental material: the geometrical cones and the car’s interior are coated with various fabrics by Kvadrat.

 

Visitors will be invited to approach the car and experience different interactive scenarios and simulations. Unexpected and multitask objects are suspended all around, as metaphors of travel. 

 

Spanish born designer, Patricia Urquiola, saw the car interior of the 5 Series Gran Turismo as offering a great opportunity to play around with soft edges and colours; whilst at the same time creating an atmospheric space inside the car infused with the dominance of the textiles and the interaction between the various materials. The stunning installation includes an array of innovative products and interior details in various hues and materials. Patricia Urquiola describers her inspiration for the design: “Usually we perceive cars from the outside, and then the inside follows. However, our direct interaction is with the inside: it is the core that protects and comforts us, the space in direct contact with our bodies and our functions and needs in the process of travelling. I investigated this interface and tried to understand the possible evolution as a softer, dwelling experience.”

 

Kvadrat actively engages in art and design projects that push the boundaries of textile and its uses. The Dwelling Lab installation during Salone is the latest in a series of projects which illustrates how textiles can be used in innovative ways.  The partnering of strong, inventive textiles used innovatively for long lasting function, highlights the synergy between BMW and Kvadrat; a commitment to making extraordinary objects for everyday use. 

 

The generous amount of light and space in Kvadrat’s Milanese showroom inspired Giulio Ridolfo to create floating transitions between the inside and outside areas using five 3-D structured cones, impacted in the car; demonstrating how mathematics, geometry and engineering can produce beautiful, balanced design. The result is a dynamic statement, resembling an explosion which lets the onlooker catch a glimpse into the new universe of the Gran Turismo 5. The emphasis is on both functionality and atmosphere. At the same time, the incorporation of fabrics into the design is in itself a presentation of Kvadrat’s richly varied collection.

 

Inside the 5 Series Gran Turismo, users find generous dimensions, inspired contemporary design, and individualized luxury. Sweeping contours – such as those of the interior door panels combine with elegant and premium-quality materials to create an ambiance that is equally satisfying to front and rear occupants. Patricia Urquiola's design delivers her trademark transparency and varied forms - delicately mixing old-fashioned formality and the newest technology and luxury features that BMW Gran Turismo represents.

 

 

Kvadrat was established in Denmark in 1968 and now holds a leading position in the European market of design-textiles supplying renowned architects, designers and furniture manufacturers throughout the world for use in upholstery and curtains.

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