VIRGIN ATLANTIC’S CLUBHOUSE PICKS UP TOP AWARDS

Virgin Atlantic has won the award for ‘Best Public Space’ for its newly redesigned San Francisco Clubhouse in the prestigious FX International Interior Design Awards. The Clubhouse also recently came second in Forbes’ ‘The World’s Ten Best Airport Lounges’ for its design, views and meal service.

The 4,500 square foot Clubhouse is positioned on the fifth floor in the new terminal of San Francisco’s International airport and cost over £2 million to construct. It has floor to ceiling glazing and unrivalled views across the bay. The Clubhouse has a unique style of its own reflecting the bright harbour lights and the distinctive buildings of San Francisco. The centrepieces of the lounge are the bar and coloured glass panels that move to create different atmospheres in the space. Five monitors display digital art in the lounge showcasing local talent.

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic, said:

“I am delighted Virgin Atlantic has won this prestigious award. The Virgin Clubhouses are designed to deliberately challenge the conventions of the airline industry and to create a different travelling environment - this award and being included in Forbes’ ‘Top Ten’ proves we are achieving what we set out to do.”

Virgin Atlantic’s Interior Design Manager Hilary Clark, who worked with locally based architects Eight Inc. on the San Francisco Clubhouse, commented:

“The FX International Design Awards are the highlight of the design industry calendar and we are thrilled to have won the category for ‘Best Public Space”.

The brief for the San Francisco Clubhouse was to create a modern environment reflecting the personality of San Francisco and Virgin Atlantic’s brand values. The FX judges believed that it is a “confident and uplifting result in an unforgiving space, achieved with a sure sense of volume and spatial proportion and painstakingly detailed materials.”