Designers show car's inside on the outside in Milan

Patricia Urquiola and Giulio Ridolfo of the Danish textile manufacturer Kvadrat went all out for BMW's Dwelling Lab.

Working with the German carmaker BMW's 5 Series Gran Turismo, designed by Adrian van Hooydonk, Urquiola and Ridolfo focused on a sculpture-like concept with the interior seemingly growing out of the car in what looks like giant cones, allowing you to see it before the exterior.

"Usually we perceive cars from the outside, and then the inside follows," Spanish-born Urquiola explained. "However, our direct interaction is with the inside: it is the core that protects and comforts us, the space in direct contact with our bodies and our functions and needs in the process of travelling. I investigated this interface and tried to understand the possible evolution as a softer, dwelling experience."

Despite the designers' almost philosophical approach, they also worked on more pragmatic issues: as a mother of two, Urquiola created a baby seat for the Gran Turismo as well as bottle holders, and contrary to what you might expect in this kind of car (leather), Kvadrat upholstered the interior in its signature textiles.

http://www.kvadrat.dk