Taiwanese airline, EVA Air, has developed a new business class seat with BMW’s Designworks studio, with first fitment to be on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The brief was to maintain ties with traditional elements of the brand, but also to step away from a ‘conventional’ seat design and move towards a more unique and mature design, creating a bold and differentiated passenger experience.
The studio has not designed the seat in isolation, instead focusing on the end-to-end in-cabin passenger experience, including privacy, meal service access and user-friendly features, clever stowage spaces, and maximized spaces for productivity and entertainment.
“At a time where consumer expectations continue to rise across their daily brand interactions, mobility industries must constantly adapt to rapidly changing customer needs”, said Johannes Lampela, design director at Designworks’ LA studio. “For the aviation industry this means balancing flexibility with a structured environment, providing privacy without isolation, as well as complete connectivity within a premium and relaxed setting.
“We recognized that EVA business class experiences needed to focus on bringing fresh and memorable interactions to passengers, making service, design and brand work together. Our goal was to take a proven seat platform and make it unique to EVA”, he continued.
The trim and finish schemes are heavily influenced by architecture and furniture design, with a muted, warm color palette used as part of the seat design to complement the bright accents provided by EVA signature service and amenities. Wool carpets, natural leathers and rich custom textiles also add to the sense of luxury.
