Jaguar has unveiled its new dedicated design studio in Gaydon, bringing the entire design team into one purpose-built creative space for the first time in the marque’s 84-year history. Led by Jaguar Design Director, Julian Thomson, the new studio is one of the most advanced automotive design centre in the world, developed to enhance the human creative design process with world-leading technologies. The ‘Heart Space’, a collaborative hub at the centre of the new Jaguar Design Studio, will bring together the diverse and creative 280-strong team as it designs future generations of Jaguars. Surrounding the Heart Space are bespoke working environments for the Interior, Exterior and Colour and Materials teams, plus Design Visualisation and Design Technical disciplines. Jaguar Design is made up of designers from across the globe and from a range of industry backgrounds, including fashion, watch-making, sports and gaming.
Designers can also work with modern systems of virtual reality (Vr) and an 11-metre 4K digital display wall known as ‘The Electric’. The floor area of the new Jaguar Design Studio measures over 12,000m2 – double that of the previous studio spaces based in Whitley. “The new facility brings the entire design team together in one hugely creative space. We truly believe that inspiration comes from interaction and collaboration”, said Thomson. The main studios are named Studio 3 and Studio 4, taking inspiration from the numbers of the Le Mans-winning Jaguar D-types of 1957 and 1956 respectively, as well as paying homage to studios 1 and 2 at Whitley, which was the home of Jaguar Design from 1985.
Studios 3 and 4 house a total of ten clay modelling plates, each measuring 20-metres long and capable of accommodating two clays, with a load capacity of 4.5-tonnes. For the first time, designers can now place interior and exterior models next to one another to improve synergy and collaboration between the two disciplines. Each plate is fitted with floor-integrated machine railsto allow double-sided processing of models by the 3+2-axis Kolb Concept Line CNC clay milling machines, each fitted with a 1kw motorised spindle capable of 16,000rpm. The advanced system can switch between measuring and milling both quickly and easily. The new Jaguar Design Studio will place a greater importance on advanced material technologies, too. The Colour and Materials team have more space and technology to investigate and test new and sustainable resources that continue to demonstrate the heights of luxury and tactility for the next generation of vehicles, while meeting Jaguar’s demanding quality standards.
