The appointment was set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday 27 January, in New York. Address: 181 Madison Avenue. Venue: the Poltrona Frau flagship store. The occasion was compelling enough to persuade at least 100 people — including architects, designers, stakeholders from the automotive and fashion worlds, and institutional representatives — to brave well-below-freezing temperatures. On offer was the unveiling of a project of exceptional calibre and forward-looking vision. Developed alongside the Italian design house, the project brings together Lineapelle and Hyundai Transys. Its title: The Circular Shift, a concept based on the Circular Mobility System, which you can explore in detail in the video below.
The Circular Shift
“This project”, Hyundai explains, “defines mobility and living spaces as a single circular system within future mobility scenarios. The aim is to blur the boundaries between everyday life and travel”. The concept is built around the idea of “ground to sky”. In other words, it connects “the flow of road mobility, aerial mobility and intermediate dwell time. This organic design approach allows users to enjoy a seamless experience even as modes of transport change”. An experience that, on Tuesday in New York, was presented through a 3D vehicle model and made immersive via VR headsets.
Lineapelle, Hyundai Transys and Poltrona Frau
“Hyundai Transys worked on the design of seating and spatial systems for future mobility. Poltrona Frau oversaw the configuration of the hub space, drawing on its expertise in furniture design. Lineapelle, meanwhile, focused on innovation in leather and materials”. Fulvia Bacchi, CEO of Lineapelle, highlighted “the excellence and sustainability of leather”, as reported by megaeconomy.co.kr, “redefining it not as a short-term consumable material, but as a circular material that can be managed and reused over the long term”. For Lineapelle, The Circular Shift represents the second stage of a partnership with Hyundai that has already delivered outstanding results in the world of design.
Modularity and lightness
Among the many innovative and highly creative aspects of the project, one in particular deserves attention — as it decisively dismantles the technovegan rhetoric claiming that leather cannot be used in transport because it is “too heavy”. Hyundai Transys states that, for the seats of this “ground to sky” mobility module, it has introduced “a Poltrona Frau leather that reduces weight while maintaining durability and luxury, suggesting the possibility of using leather as a future material for mobility seating”. It could hardly be clearer. “The seat will evolve into a key element that connects movement and everyday life, going beyond simple functional components through modularisation”, says Hong Seong-Byeong, Head of Seat Design at Hyundai Transys. “We will continue to develop research and global cooperation to lead change in the future role of mobility seating”.
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