(Aspire), Swissport International’s airport hospitality brand, has unveiled a new lounge chair concept following a competitive design brief with BA Product and Industrial Design students from the world-renowned art and design school Central Saint Martins.

Aspire’s research has shown that the three top priorities for guests when choosing a lounge are calm, comfort and quality. The brief invited around 20 student designers to develop a solution which addressed all three of these desires, challenged conventional airport seating customs and pushed the creative envelope.

The concepts were presented to Aspire in a two-part judging process onsite at Central Saint Martins, showcasing the incredible vision and creativity of tomorrow’s design leaders.

After going through the melee of check-in, security and the terminal floor, what travellers crave most is a sense of personal space. The ability to always see their luggage. A surface to work, eat or simply rest a screen on. Light they can adjust to suit their mood, the hour, or the task at hand. And finally, somewhere that looks and feels like a place worth settling into – essentially somewhere guests can make their Wait Wonderful®.

With this in mind, Aspire is challenging the traditional view of pre-flight hospitality and redefining what comfort means in an airport lounge setting. By considering both the physical and psychological factors that impact travellers’ ability to truly unwind before a flight, Aspire is transforming how they experience their pre-flight downtime.

The winning design, by Aya Maria El Omeira, addresses all these elements, comprising a modular, curved multi-seat lounge system that combines luxury, ergonomics, and durability. The chair brings together privacy, intelligent luggage storage, an integrated table, charging capabilities and adjustable lighting – all of which are practical details, but beautifully executed.

Built on a reinforced steel frame, the design leverages the high-quality materials including solid walnut wood and sumptuous cushioning. The outside of the chair is upholstered in Italian ‘intrecciato’ leather, a technique originating in Tuscany and Venice, where thin strips of soft leather are meticulously interlaced by hand to create a pattern that is at once flexible, durable and extremely luxurious.