Case Study: Automotive
The Challenge
Former BMW Design Director Chris Bangle wanted to pursue his idea of a fabric-skinned car. He was seeking lighter, more flexible materials that required less production energy than traditional metal skins.
Inspired by a flexible skin architecture exhibit at Material ConneXion, Bangle started researching high-strength and tear-resistant textiles with our team of experts.
Key Requirements
- Insights
- Material Sourcing
- Materiality
The Discovery
Their effort led to the GINA – a visionary shape-shifting sports car made from polyurethane-coated Lycra stretched over a wire-aluminum frame. The metallized fabric was sourced from the world of technical textiles, normally used to shield heat from processes.
The Material Solution
While only a concept car, the GINA’s innovative design is inspiring a new wave of automobiles.
We went [back] to Material ConneXion, who we used as a very valuable resource, to help us identify swatches that … would become the GINA.
Chris Bangle, Former VP Design, BMW
Service of Choice
Material Landscape provides select resources through material deliveries and focused project workshops on topics such as: sustainability, efficiency evaluation, competitive analysis, product evaluation, opportunities analysis, and material trends. Let’s create a clear picture. →
