Virgin Atlantic Sunken Lounge, UK: American Hardwood Export Council

Virgin Atlantic Sunken Lounge, London Heathrow, UK

Species: American black walnut

Designer: Softroom

Photography: Softroom, Richard Davies

Virgin Atlantic Sunken Lounge, London Heathrow, UK"Sunken Lounge" is a unique, bespoke piece of joinery furniture designed by Softroom for the new 26,000m2 Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Heathrow Airport in London. As part of the brief for the lounge, Virgin’s in-house design team were keen that the Clubhouse should not look like a “sea of seats”. To this end, generous seated accommodation for 30-40 passengers is provided in this specially developed unit, which surrounds a lively bar area at the heart of the Clubhouse. These horseshoe shaped enclosures are built up out of the same American black walnut timber as the upper floor, stack-bonded and sculpted into an original form. Let into this sinuous, polished shell are generously proportioned leather upholstered sofas. Centre armrests in the sofas flip open to provide power and data points for laptops, while side tables can be brought up for impromptu dining. Stainless steel fins at the back of the unit provide support for integral accessories including a planter, magazine rack and coloured glass screen.

Virgin Atlantic Sunken Lounge, London Heathrow, UKErgonomics were a primary consideration in the design, and the final form was the result of a lengthy process of design development, including paper and CAD studies, full scale mock-ups and prototypes. These were trialled with a wide range of potential users in order to fine tune the seat height, width and padding. An important factor was the ability to use the seating not only for relaxation but also dining and work.

Throughout the Clubhouse, much of the air-conditioning system is built into the joinery. Overhead a unique sweeping ceiling recalls an expanse of sky, raked by gently drifting clouds. Its undulating geometry, echoed in the layout of the floor, weaves across the space and unites the room along its remarkable length. The dramatic design of the ceiling was made possible by relocating the air-conditioning to low–level, thereby avoiding the oppressive low–slung grid of tiles and grilles normally found in airport environments, giving the Clubhouse an entirely original character.

By Michael Buckley, World Hardwoods