Project Name: THE Room – ANA Business Class

Date Completed: 2nd August 2019

Designers: Acumen Design Associates & Kengo Kuma

Completion Centre: New build B777-300ER aircraft from Boeing, Seattle, USA

Associated Companies: Safran Seats, Panasonic

THE Room effectively combines Japanese culture with western design principles to create the biggest Business Class environment in the world.

In advance of the Rugby World Cup 2019 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, All Nippon Airways (ANA) wanted to disrupt the status quo and bring a new level of luxury to the Business Class travel experience. With more leisure travellers now opting to fly Business and a strong desire to attract more international visitors to Japan, the design brief from ANA was to create a cabin environment that fused the best of eastern traditions and culture with western design principles.

To achieve this, ANA turned to a western design agency for the first time in its history. London-based Acumen Design Associates led the design and brand experience development of ANA’s 12 B777-300ER aircraft – creating radical seating and cabin interior designs which drastically improve the passenger experience and showcase the true ‘Inspiration of Japan’.

ANA initially approached Acumen in 2014 to come up with a ‘blue sky’ Business Class cabin capable of disrupting the status quo and reaffirming ANA as the airline of choice for passengers visiting Japan. Acumen created THE Room – a unique cabin design which offers passengers unrivalled space in which to work, relax and socialise.

THE Room features a heavily customised version of the Fusio seat from Safran Seats. During the early design process, Acumen presented ANA with a number of original concepts – one of which was closely aligned to Fusio (which Safran Seats had privately presented to the airline). ANA requested the two companies work closely together to merge their concepts and develop the final product through to production – with Safran Seats responsible for the manufacture of the new seats.