Polestar announced the winners of its first annual Design Contest today. Initiated in June, the design competition drew great interest from both professional and student designers, each competing for the podium in the respective category. The winners’ designs will now be displayed virtually and in Polestar Spaces around the world.
The Polestar Design Contest invited both professional and student designers to create a vision of future mobility based around the theme of ‘purity’. They were asked to present a new Polestar that exhibits the purest of designs; a vision of the new brand’s evolution in the year 2040 that follows the company’s design philosophy. Specifically, the vision did not need to be a car.
Entrants first submitted sketches, which were assessed by Polestar’s design department. The 13 finalists were then invited to remote coaching and guidance from Juan Pablo Bernal and Maximilian Missoni, Polestar’s Head of Design, where they were given advice and insight into the world of automotive design.
The final phase involved the shortlisted finalists creating fully-realized digital models of their concepts, which were then judged by the designer panel. And now, after a five-month process, we can detail the winning proposals.
Professional Category Winner
Konrad Cholewka from Poland was chosen as the winner of the Polestar Design Contest professional category. His ‘Polestar MMXL’ design – an inclusive, autonomous pod with a flexible interior design – was deemed to be pure in its combination of two geometric shapes.
Cholewka’s design boasts a cabin, accessed through a universally accessible single rear door, which is arranged more like a living room than a normal car to enable easy socializing. It also features a front bench seat which can be rotated 180 degrees to face the direction of travel.
Its design is pure in its geometry: its core form is defined by a cylindrical shape intersecting a rectangular box form. Subtle forms and lines then enrich the design, as do lighting and technical details like the roof mounted cameras, which take inspiration from the recent Polestar Precept.
Student Category Winner
The Polestar Design Contest student category has been won by Siddhesh Bhogale from India. His ‘Polestar 40’ design – an airship that looks ahead 20 years by combining Polestar design with a 21st-century aviation approach – combines Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) concepts with the larger, classic, lighter-than-air vehicles.
The design reflects Polestar in its form, use of colors and graphics, and focus on electric propulsion. The concept looks ahead to when electric motors could be used to power airships, and the means to generate electricity off-grid in remote locations would likely be possible.
Many different types of vehicles exist in the wold today, but the airship remains rare. With the desire to experience journeys and undertake research in remote locations such as the Arctic, with the development of drone-type propulsion systems, and with some regions having little transport infrastructure, airships may see a resurgence.
Honorable Mention
An honorable mention goes to professional category finalist Arthur Martins from Brazil for his ‘Spänning’ electric yacht. His Polestar Design Contest entry depicts how the pure, progressive performance values of Polestar could translate into the boating world and shows the potential for an electric yacht that offers a true alternative to conventional craft.
The simple and brutal form contrasts with the flowing water around it to make a strong impact. Such a silent and pure craft would offer a unique travel experience. The inclusions of sensors would enable autonomous piloting to enhance safety and route guidance, and the monochrome color palette and the bow side nameplate are classic Polestar design cues.
“We received an overwhelming amount of enthusiastic attention from inspired designers all over the world,” says Juan Pablo Bernal, Senior Design Manager for Polestar, curator of the @polestardesigncommunity Instagram account and the founder of the contest. “The designers produced very high-quality material, and we saw a very consistent expression of the Polestar design language.”
Hundreds of entries were received, from a truly international mix of designers – including submissions from India, South Korea, Japan, Germany, the United States, Sweden, Brazil, Poland, and China. Designs included everything from hypercars and Arctic exploration vehicles, to personal mobility solutions and watercraft.
“It was both inspirational and humbling to interact with so much emerging and experienced talent. The designs we saw evolve from creative sketches to 3D models show that the design world is a melting pot of exceptional individuals,” says Missoni. “We look forward to seeing these designers moving on to great things during their promising careers.”
The winning designs will now be brought to life as 1:5 scale models and first shown in a virtual exhibition before beginning a global tour in Polestar’s launch markets. They will appear at Polestar Spaces in China, Europe and North America, according to local regulations.
