New Upper Class Suite for Virgin Atlantic

"London studio Pengelly Design has created an airline seat that converts into a 2.2-metre-long bed for Virgin Atlantic.

Created in collaboration with the Virgin Atlantic design team, the seats were arranged four-abreast in a diagonal configuration that means all passengers have an aisle seat.



Simon Pengelly claims that it is is the longest flat business-class bed ever made.

Carbon-fibre screens surround the chairs to integrate storage, reading lights and touch-screen monitors.

The cabin design will be rolled out across all new Airbus A330 and Boeing 787-900 aircrafts.

Here’s some more information from Pengelly:

New Upper Class Suite, Virgin Atlantic
We are proud to introduce Virgin Atlantic’s new Upper Class Suite designed by Pengelly Design in partnership with Virgin Atlantic Design. Together we’ve immersed ourselves in every aspect of the Suites’ development over the last four and half years and we’re thrilled with the result which is already on selected flights and will be installed on all of Virgin Atlantic’s new Airbus A330 aircraft throughout 2012 and on the new Boeing 787-900’s.
The team was tasked with designing a new passenger environment – a blank canvas with which to invigorate the flying experience with more luxury, comfort and a sense of discovery. The aim was to create a sophisticated and uplifting product developed to include some revolutionary features.
The development of the unique 4 abreast herringbone configuration has allowed us to fully optimize cabin space, giving more room to each passenger whilst actually increasing the amount of seats within the cabin, providing every passenger with their own aisle access, ensuring an uninterrupted journey.
The new Upper Class Suite has been designed with a ‘furniture aesthetic’, our speciality, moving it away from the traditional aircraft feel towards a more domestic and familiar experience, providing a secure, wonderfully private and calming space.
We’ve spent months shaping and reshaping the form of every surface and curve of the carbon fibre chair-surround to encapsulate all the functional features a traveller needs whilst ensuring each surround is as thin as possible to maximise personal space.
Every effort went into the provision of intuitive and easily accessible passenger elements in seat and bed mode in addition to providing as much individual storage as possible.
The chair itself features an innovative comfort system for aircraft seating that provides an unparalleled level of repose for long haul flight. This system also provides an equally high degree of comfort to the bed which at 87 inches is now the longest fully flat business class bed ever developed.
The Suite contains nothing superfluous, quietly understated it’s an environment in which to explore and discover your own space, the materials used are designed to enrich your journey and give you the sense of being looked after. Every feature cleverly designed, positioned and blended into the surround such as the flexible reading light, fold out cocktail tray and fully adjustable touchscreen monitor for ease of viewing in every chair and bed position."
Source: Dezeen Magazine