BA Executive Lounge, Glasgow Airport Building, Architect, Project, Images, Design, Info

British Airways Executive Lounge, Glasgow Airport

British Airways Development, Scotland – design by Graven Images, Scotland

11 Sep 2013

New British Airways Executive Lounge, Glasgow Airport

Paisley

Design: Graven Images

BA Executive Lounge

photos © Renzo Mazzolini

Graven Images’ design for new British Airways Executive Lounge, Glasgow Airport

Injecting a shot of glamour into the often rather tedious experience of modern air travel, Graven Images has taken a former airline lounge at Glasgow Airport and turned it into a series of connected smaller spaces, to meet the range of needs of British Airways Executive Club and Business guests.

The opportunity to move its Lounge into a larger space enabled British Airways to increase its capacity to 150 customers; double its previous Glasgow Lounge capacity.

Graven Images was appointed to design the Lounge, which includes all of the features of BA’s iconic “Galleries” Lounges, with a few evolutionary twists that take advantage of its location in Graven’s home city.

The 450 square metres of redesigned space has re-opened following a £800,000 re-fit which has also seen the introduction of innovative new features, including welcoming pods with an LED-lit mesh panel wall by Giles Miller Studio giving a subtle representation of BA’s brand.

As usual drinks and snacks are complimentary and the main catering space has been designed as the focal point of the Lounge, with shared and more intimate banquette style seating, as well as coffee and deli serving stations.

With ceilings wrapped by natural oak and a mix of ceramic and oak flooring, the new Lounge is a warmer and livelier space that supports customers in the widest way depending on whether they want to work or relax.

As expected, the re-designed facility incorporates many elements that feature the materials and skills of Scottish companies, including the Bridge of Weir Leather Company and Bute Fabrics.

As with other Galleries Lounges, art is an important aspect and works by graduates of the Glasgow School of Art are displayed throughout.

photos © Renzo Mazzolini

The space has limited natural light, so Graven worked with Kevan Shaw Lighting Design to create a lighting scheme which gives an illusion of space where it is needed, but contributes to an atmosphere of intimacy elsewhere.

This is most successful on the rear feature wall, which has veneer panels stained in three different tones, visible almost as soon as guests enter the Lounge. The ambient shading creates a peaceful study area.

Among the features of the re-designed lounge is a unique Glenlivet Whisky Snug, showcasing the finest single malt Scotch whiskies and featuring Lee Broom’s decanter light shades.

The bar, the first of its kind in a British Airways lounge anywhere in the world, was a neat solution to re-using a ‘difficult’ corner of the previous lounge with a view out onto the airport runway. This can now be glimpsed through the window and the whisky bottles.

High visibility from the main concourse plays on the Glaswegian love of showing-off!

Spindle back chairs by Patricia Urquiola have been matched with Graven’s Harris Tweed lamp shades. The walls are lined with Bute tweed and held in place with Graven designed buttons crafted by Glasgow jewellers Brazen.

Many of the chairs used in the lounge were sourced from Morgan Furniture with some, such as those in the lounge/study area to the rear of the space; recalling a more refined era of air travel.

images © Graven Images

About Graven Images
Graven Images is an internationally renowned design studio which has been providing services, including interior design and branding and communications design, for a global clientele in the corporate, public, and hotel and leisure sectors for over 27 years. Graven Images has a highly experienced team of 30+ in its studio in Glasgow’s Merchant City, including architects, interior designers, graphic designers, 3D artists and exhibition designers. www.graven.co.uk

New BA Executive Lounge at Glasgow Airport – Building Information

Client: British Airways
Interior Designers: Graven Images
Architect: 3D Reid
Project Management: Turner and Townsend (Glasgow)
Quantity Surveyor: Turner and Townsend (Glasgow)
Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Consultant: Hulley and Kirkwood (Glasgow)
Lighting Consultant: Kevan Shaw Lighting Design
Contractor: Elmwood

Photographs: Renzo Mazzolini Photography

British Airways Executive Lounge Glasgow Airport images / information from Graven Images

Graven Images