Aston Martin is a thoroughly British company, with almost all of its factories and offices located in the UK. But now it’s opened its first overseas design studio on the other side of the world.
The new Aston Martin Lagonda Creative Lab is situated in NICE 2035 – the Neighborhood of Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship developed by Tongji University in Shanghai.
A joint effort between the Chinese university and the British automaker, the studio will focus on interior design and operate in parallel to the existing design office in Gaydon, UK.
“Shanghai is one of the world’s most energetic and vibrant cities, a real hub for technology, art and design,” said Peng Mingshan, head of Aston Martin China. “The Yangpu District is full of world-class universities and institutions, an ideal location to set up Aston Martin’s first overseas design studio.”
Though the Shanghai studio will be its first in China, it won’t be the first facility Aston has outside the UK. It also builds engines in Cologne and, in addition to Silverstone, has a Performance Center at the Nürburgring.
Most of its facilities, though, are in the British Isles, including its main site at Gaydon in Warwickshire, its Classics facility at Newport Pagnell, the engineering office at Red Bull Racing’s headquarters in Milton Keynes, and the new factory it’s converting from an old air base at St Athan in Wales.
“Collaborating with industry leaders and talented students at Tongji University will allow us to have a deeper understanding of the trends in China, ensuring we are focused on the needs of our Chinese customers,” added chief creative officer Marek Reichman, who’ll also lecture as a visiting professor at the university. “The first project of the new studio will be a collaboration on future interior designs for our sports cars and our first SUV, which will be launching in 2019.”
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