From the moment the elevator doors slide open, a customer’s unique Gulfstream experience begins. The activity of the bustling Mayfair District outside provides stark contrast to the Gulfstream London Sales and Design Center’s soft colors, graceful curves and sweeping lines. The design center is the company’s first such facility outside the United States and the only one not attached to an airport or Gulfstream manufacturing facility.
“With a significant increase in international orders, we wanted to provide customers somewhere ‘local’ they could visit and make their interior design selections,” says Trevor Esling, a regional senior vice president of International Sales for Gulfstream. “The Mayfair area and the nearby neighborhoods of Kensington, St. James and Belgravia are home to customers from all areas of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. London, with its financial district, remains the number one destination for many of our customers.”
The design space is reminiscent of an aircraft interior thanks to the plush seating, high-speed technology and task-specific spaces. Three conference rooms provide plenty of seating for conversations or consultation. Two lounge areas offer space for relaxation. The real centerpiece is a design center featuring an extensive array of cabin selections, from fine porcelain to lux leathers and everything in between.
At the heart of this design center is three-dimensional visualization software that allows customers to quickly see their selections in situ without ever leaving the room. Real-time renderings of the aircraft in its new décor can be projected onto a crisp, white wall.
Even better, the software doesn’t rely on a standard sample selection. Clients can choose from Gulfstream’s wide array of interior goods or scan their own using a digital scanner to create a one-of-a-kind interior. The rendering helps customers visualize the finished product.
“You can print right from the system,” says Tray Crow, Gulfstream’s Interior Design director, “so you can walk away with a rendering. The capabilities we have at the London Sales and Design Center draw you into the space and deeper into the experience of designing your aircraft’s interior.” It’s the experience much like the location that makes all the difference.
Gallery:
[nggallery id=628]
