Virgin Atlantic Commission for Manchester Airport 2020

Virgin Atlantic Commission for Manchester Airport was a live, competitive project developed in collaboration with Virgin Atlantic and STAC Architects, centred on re‑imagining materials from a decommissioned Boeing 747, including aircraft seats and seatbelts. Students responded to a real‑world brief for a public space within Manchester Airport, developing design proposals through a competitive pitching process with direct involvement from the client team. The project emphasised material enquiry, sustainability and conceptual thinking within a high‑profile commercial context, offering students insight into working with complex stakeholders and large‑scale public environments. While the installation was postponed due to the Covid‑19 pandemic, the project provided valuable experience of professional commissioning processes, client engagement and design development at an international scale.