Virtual reality helps build dazzling Qantas Singapore Lounge

Qantas has unveiled details of the new First Lounge it is building at Singapore’s Changi Airport using an innovative virtual reality tool. The lounge will seat 240 customers in a setting the airline boasts offers a luxurious design and premium dining inspired by Singaporean culture.

It is aimed particularly at transit travelers with shower facilities, a la carte dining including an open kitchen, a cocktail bar and plenty of device charging stations. Unveiling detail of the interiors today, industrial designer David Caon said a neutral color palette, luxurious materials and leafy green highlights would make customers feel relaxed as soon as they enter the lounge. READ: Exercise bikes and cafes on Qantas ultra-longhaul wishlist. “The interiors achieve a synergy with other Qantas First Lounges on the network, using key materials like marble and oak from the Sydney flagship lounge, combined with finishes reflecting the lively culture of Singapore,” said Caon. “With a continued focus on wellness, we’ll be looking at including the latest advances in light technology, allowing passengers to better synchronize their body clocks with future time zones.” The lounge is set to open at the end of 2019 and virtual reality (VR) played a key role in its design. Caon and his team created an immersive VR representation of the design concept that gives Qantas a better way to preview and fine-tune lounges. The technology is also being used to upgrade the cabins on the airline’s A380 superjumbos.

“While we already use VR technology to promote destinations, this is the first time we have used it to better understand a lounge design. Being able to immerse ourselves in a virtual lounge gives us a more accurate sense of space and an understanding of how it will look to scale,” Qantas International chief executive Alison Webster said. “We know Qantas customers like to dine in the lounge to maximize sleep onboard, so the layout will offer generous and comfortable seating options, ideal for eating, working or relaxing.” “As Qantas’ largest hub outside of Australia, Singapore is an extremely important part of our network. There is strong demand for travel in premium cabins to Singapore and we are looking forward to complementing the first class experience with a new lounge.” Qantas is also expanding its existing business lounge in Singapore and is due to open it mid-year. It says its overall lounge capacity in Singapore, where it operates 50 return services a week, and will offer seating for more than 800 customers. It also recently announced it would upgrade its lounges in Tokyo, Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane and Hobart.