priestmangoode completes traditionally crafted south african airways cabin interior

priestmangoode unveils traditional craft cabin interior for south african airways
all images courtesy priestmangoode

priestmangoode has designed new cabin interiors for south african airways’ narrow body fleet of a320. the studio worked in collaboration with consultancy firm brand union in johannesburg, south africa to develop a new identity and experience for the leading african airline. from vibrant colors to materials, traditional crafts, local fashion trends, and elaborate interiors, the interior design language is translated into a concise visual story, portraying expressive pattern, warm tones, and textured surfaces.

‘the aircraft re-design forms part of a larger project that addresses the overall visual language of SAA across its passenger touch-points,’ explains luke hawes, director at priestmangoode. ‘until now, SAA have had minimal brand continuity throughout their interior products. the purchase of new narrow body aircraft gave SAA an opportunity to build a brand platform with a distinct look and feel.’

the new brand identity and cabin interiors are currently being rolled out across south african airways’ fleet of new airbus a320 aircraft. the design and brand foundations will be in place for the airline to translate the design to other aircraft types in the fleet and extend the look to ground services.

‘while many airlines miss this opportunity and rely on industry suppliers, it is absolutely to SAA’s credit that they approached both specialist designers and branding consultants,’ adds hawes. ‘this is a significant step for the airline. the new look is one of sophisticated elegance with colour, pattern, and material highlights — the timeless interior displays confidence and comfort.’

business class cabin render

the business class seat has seen a complete design overhaul, with a bespoke tailored seats. the result is a wider seat offering passengers more space and a more comfortable journey. the stitching on the backrest picks up the shape of the arrow from south african airways’ logo.

a blue light strip representing the blue sky runs alongside the overhead bins along the length of the cabin and contrasts with the earthy tones of the seats, mimicking the colours of the african landscape.

the curtain, brand panel and magazine rack feature bespoke designed materials inspired by african craft heritage. the curtain features a geometric woven diamond pattern, while the wall foil features a linear weave design. the back of the magazine rack showcases a subtle, burnt orange foil featuring a pattern reminiscent of traditional african printed fabrics.

the economy class cabin features muted shades of beige, anthracite and blue. here, as in the business class cabin, stitching on the backrests reflect the arrow of the south african airways logo.

economy class headrest, showing a patterned blue woven reveal

economy class

wall-mounted magazine racks with a textured linear weave design and a deep blue african print foil background introduces pattern, color & 3D brand application at the rear of the cabin.