Audi and Poliform | Unique Collaboration | Audi South Africa
Co-created by Italian furniture brand Poliform and Audi, the interior of the Audi urbansphere concept* is a premium lounge that reflects the design teams’ shared vision of new mobile living spaces.
Co-created by Italian furniture brand Poliform and Audi, the interior of the Audi urbansphere concept* is a premium lounge that reflects the design teams’ shared vision of new mobile living spaces.
Marta, your company Poliform is a respected name in the furniture industry whose designs are inspired by what you refer to as a human philosophy. How do you interpret that thinking?
In essence, our approach is simple: Our designs are devoted to and revolve around people. Thanks to our ability to read our customers’ tastes and needs, we design bespoke environments for people with unique personal histories.
At the Poliform Lab – our trend scouting and brainstorming hub – we initiate each project’s creative phase by thoroughly researching styles, cultures and craftsmanship, before moving on to the design and development stage. There, the focus is on selecting materials and techniques that ensure each product will enrich users’ lives with its comfort and durability.
In this way, Poliform creates peerless environments where every detail is part of the grand project of perfection. While always inviting, our style also oozes exclusivity and luxury.
Poliform is renowned for interiors that are not only aesthetically pleasing but whose impressive functionality also serves a higher purpose. How do you go about designing such spaces?
The Poliform design philosophy is not restricted to individual pieces of furniture. Instead, it encompasses entire spaces and homes where people experiment with shaping and transforming their lives. Our conceptual process takes its cue from the space we intend to embellish. Only then do we design the products that will blend in with it harmoniously. In the early days, we created living areas for use during the day and at night. Now, we also design kitchens and sofas. We view a house as a unique, harmonious environment whose every corner is meant to give people a sense of well-being and ease.
The Audi urbansphere concept* aims to create a new kind of private realm with a networked ecosystem that provides every passenger with the means to recharge their batteries as they see fit during their journey. How does your design philosophy translate to a vehicle interior, such as the Audi urbansphere concept*?
This was an incredible opportunity for us to broaden our horizons by going beyond what constitutes a house and furniture and even rethinking the mobile interiors of what were until now considered cars. Mobility is no longer just about getting from A to B in a vehicle. Rather, it’s an extension of our living space – a kind of lounge on wheels or travelling cocoon where we feel at home. After all, home is where we’re at ease.
In other words, cars will provide a personal space where we can take our creature comforts and conveniences with us wherever we go?
Yes, this is a new, forward-looking way of experiencing space and time. As a result, what was previously regarded as a temporary location occupied while in transit now takes on a whole new meaning, as does the time spent there. A trip in the car becomes an opportunity to do the same things you would at home – relaxing, networking and enjoying the company of loved ones, but also working.
Marta Anzani is the daughter of one of Poliform’s founders and the company’s Marketing & Communications Manager.
“Home is where we’re at ease.”
Marta Anzani
And how did you apply those principles to the futuristic interior of the Audi urbansphere concept¹?
We always strive to tune into what it is that makes personal spaces feel homely. Materials and light are instrumental to achieving that.
By modulating lighting in special ways, we are able to continually adjust the ambience in the mobile lounge to meet customers’ needs. Warm, dimmable illumination tempts occupants to indulge in quiet moments of relaxation, while accent lights, which can be activated independently or as a set, let you focus on individual activities, such as reading a book or working at a desk. The same idea is behind the central screen and film projector: If desired, passengers can transform the space into a cinema, art gallery or an office with video telephony. Thanks to customisable OLED panels, you can block out certain window areas, the same way you would with curtains in a house. Accent lights point up homely accessories. To create a cosy, private cocoon, the interior’s lower trim and the glass panes above them are specially soundproofed to block out the hubbub.
As a furniture manufacturer, what did you focus on when selecting materials?
To ensure that the interior provides a 360-degree experience, we carefully chose the highest quality materials that stimulate all the senses in pleasurable and immersive ways.
Leather and cashmere accessories let you rediscover a feeling of luxury and comfort while on the move. Rather than a transitional space, this is somewhere you want to linger and enjoy home comforts to the fullest extent.
Audi x Poliform co-creation
Henrik Wenders, Head of Brand at AUDI AG, explains why the Four Rings embarked on a co-creation process with Italian furniture maker Poliform: “At Audi, we have a long history of creating mobile experiences. But people’s expectations change. That’s why we are breaking new ground with co-creation projects. Poliform is a leader on the international furniture market. For over 50 years, the company has created beautifully aesthetic interiors of the highest calibre. Audi and Poliform share the same philosophy that space should be designed to serve people and meet their needs. In our first collaboration of this kind with a like-minded brand, we aimed to pool our expertise in interior design for mobile environments. Together, we have forged an innovative vision of a new kind of private sphere – a lounge on wheels whose cutting-edge technologies and seamless digital ecosystem bring human needs into harmony.”
The vehicle shown is a concept vehicle that is not available as a production vehicle.
