Automotive design | Grand Hornu Project | 2015
A sculptural manifesto
For the 'Le Labo des Héritiers' exhibition at the Le Grand Hornu art museum in Mons-Belgium, we developed a sculpture that acts as a manifesto for car design.
It’s a family affair
Granstudio's founder, Lowie Vermeersch, is part of the third generation of a Flemish artist family. Alongside his three artist brothers, he was invited to participate in the 'Le Labo des Héritiers' exhibition, which showcased three artist families: Scarpa, Van Severen, and Vermeersch. Lowie took advantage of the museum context to transform some of the views that Granstudio has been working on into a car-like sculpture that can exist beyond traditional design boundaries.
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Lowie and his brothers at home in front of their 4 sculptures made by their father
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Lowie with his brothers at an art event, making with their father a wall painting
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![Visiting the Biennale of Venice in 84, where Lowie's Grandfather exhibited]()
Visiting the Biennale of Venice in 84, where Lowie's grandfather exhibited
Technology as a quiet enabler (of beauty)
In the conceptual sculpture advanced stereolithography is used to create an inner structure that provides both rigidity and inner air ducts. This allows for the management of airflows of an imaginary sports car in a radically different way. Resistant air enters the structure at the most efficient point in the front and is distributed internally to the essential organs: battery, engine, brakes and cabin.
Technology hence re-enables us to imagine the bodywork as pure, free of holes, more united, closer to a human beauty.
The advancement of technology is embraced not as a value in itself, but as a quiet enabler for a society that evolves closer to the needs of man and nature.
Reality is phygital
The sculpture projected radar-like lines that reacted to the movement of visitors, creating an interactive experience and bringing the structure to life. This interaction signaled a new subject/object relationship that is emerging through AI technologies.
The juxtaposition of this digital interaction and the rough, archaic plaster surface created a balance between the tangible and intangible, the physical and digital. This duality is central to our work and is clearly expressed in our DigiPHY project, which integrates physical and digital experiences into a single XR environment.
How this inspired the Dallara Stradale design
When working on the design of the Dallara Stradale, this project inspired us to pursue a clean design through internal air flows instead of creating large openings on the sides of the car for air to enter.
OUR VIEW
Today vehicles are a very complicated puzzle of simple pieces that can be stamped. One day we’ll be able to invert this with additive manufacturing. Then vehicles can be made out of few but complex pieces, just like nature.
“Things are not inherently beautiful by themselves. We perceive them as beautiful out of necessity for our survival.”
Rik Vermeersch
With many thanks to Ruggero Cateniello, Materialise for the model building and to Pietro Carrieri for the pictures.
RELATED PROJECTS
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Dallara Stradale: the car that was inspired by the Grand Hornu project
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DigiPHY: Granstudio's design tool that unite sthe digital and physical
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RESET, another Granstudio research project
About Granstudio
AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN
Our automotive design studio embraces all the expertise and know-how that is needed to design and develop vehicles from ideation to delivering math models ready for production.
INTERACTION DESIGN
Our dedicated Interaction Design team specializes in creating HMI systems, UX/UI design projects, and holistic vehicle interactions. We take pride in our ability to create multidimensional interactions.
MOBILITY DESIGN
In our Mobility Design Studio, we design integrated and sustainable mobility systems. We focus on creating spaces, vehicles, services, and strategies that are sustainable and future-proof.