PriestmanGoode’s Private Sanctuary concept for the Airbus A350 aims to create exactly that: a private, comfortable space at the rear of an A350 cabin, designed for relaxation and optimised to promote wellness
Late in September, transport design consultancy PriestmanGoode revealed its Private Sanctuary concept for the Airbus A350. Specifically designed for the aircraft’s aft section, the concept emerged from PriestmanGoode’s ‘evolution of luxury’ workshop at the RedCabin Business Jet and VIP Interior Innovation Summit in Montréal in 2024.
Kate Montgomery, CMF Designer at PriestmanGoode, focuses on the work of the company’s Private Studio, which was responsible for Private Sanctuary. “We wrote a brief for the concept based on the insight that came out of the workshop. In the workshop we explained how we work, our approach to research and understanding that every individual is different. The participants included summit attendees and our peers in the business. We asked them what they expected for the future of private travel, and there was a big interest in wellness.”
Private Sanctuary emerged as a result, ready to be revealed at RedCabin 2025 in Vienna. Two aspects of the concept are immediately obvious from PriestmanGoode’s renderings: the use of space and the careful attention that has been paid to colours, material and finish (CMF).
Considering the space, Ben Rowan, PriestmanGoode Director and head of Private Studio, says: “Creating a concept for the rear of the aircraft meant we could keep it private and separate without the need for a corridor, so we could use the full cabin width and have windows on both sides, opening up new and interesting opportunities.” Among those opportunities, the team decided to create a mix of expansive, open space (in the bedroom, for example), and more intimate areas, including the office.
Placing Private Sanctuary at the rear of the aircraft also frees up space forward for what Rowan terms a “grand entrance” into the cabin. He continues: “Having different spaces for different functions is important for relaxing. We’ve created a large lounge with the flexibility for snuggling up on the sofa to watch a movie, or for working out, which is quite interesting, and then we have more intimate spaces for maybe getting a massage, meditation or relaxing. Combine those spaces with form, lighting and materials and you can change how they feel quite easily.”
Soft goods have a significant and flexible part to play in shaping a space. “We work with lots of suppliers to get the best possible results for the client,” Montgomery explains, recalling how a recent visitor to the studio had brought samples of duvets filled with eider down collected from above the Arctic Circle. Only 50 of the fully sustainable duvets are manufactured each year. Rowan adds: “The people we work with are always looking for the next thing, whether it’s luxury, technology or something else.”
Sleeping comfortably
Conventional wisdom has it that the flying experience is less smooth as one moves towards an aircraft’s tail, which could make it a less than ideal area for a bed. Private Sanctuary, however, is far removed from a cramped compartment squeezed into the extreme rear fuselage and for that reason, Rowan says, “We still have the luxury of space, so the bed is actually quite far forward. Also, since the A350 flies with its nose about 2° up, the bed is designed to compensate.”
Chris Haslam, Studio Design Lead at PriestmanGoode, also works closely on Private Studio output and picks up on the details of the bed. “We place the bed so that the sleeping position is facing aft, placing the head above the feet. If the bed is mounted to face forwards, it needs a self-levelling mechanism or 2.5° to 3° angle so that the head is still higher than the feet. It can look a little odd on the ground, which is why many clients prefer an aft-facing bed.”
Wellness and passenger wellbeing are key to Private Sanctuary. The careful bed placement is part of that aim, but PriestmanGoode has developed more overt features after wellbeing emerged as a significant theme from the 2024 workshop. Rowan again: “The people who use these aircraft have busy lives with lots going on and being onboard is kind of escapism and therefore part of their wellbeing. Even if the aircraft is busy, Private Sanctuary, aft of the galleys, workspaces and other distractions, literally provides them with a sanctuary without interruption.
“It provides them with space to watch a movie, relax with friends, work out, work, get a massage and so on. Questions around what escapism is, and what is wellbeing, drove the concept and that’s how we created this flexible space.”
PriestmanGoode’s concept might be for a sanctuary, but it is far from disconnected. Indeed, large monitors, working space and even a workout space offering live video connection with a personal trainer, are all contained within the design. Connectivity is therefore essential and while no client has yet investigated the possibility, Haslam agrees that multi-orbit, multi-band satcom could make sense for an aircraft equipped with Private Sanctuary. The possibility of, say, a dedicated terminal for the private suite and a second terminal serving all other cabin and crew functions seems to complement the ‘separateness’ of the living space that the concept creates.
Materials
Like any cabin concept, Private Sanctuary is really a starting point for client conversations, or inspiration to kick-start the thought process. A consistently surprising aspect of PriestmanGoode’s work is that the consultancy has no house style, no preconceived idea about what a client should be offered. “We always want to create the client’s vision,” says Montgomery, “and hopefully go beyond what they had imagined.”
“I think it’s what keeps us interesting,” adds Rowan. “Every client has a different view on what luxury is and their individual taste. With the airlines, PriestmanGoode works with different brands, but in Private Studio we work with different tastes. Expressing what they are looking for is the fun part for us.”
Noting that all of Private Studio’s work is bespoke, Montgomery nonetheless explains how four primary materials suppliers were chosen for the Private Sanctuary concept. “We wanted to show the way that we work collaboratively with suppliers. We also wanted to celebrate suppliers who are looking at luxury in a sustainable way and really liked F/LIST’s Aenigma material. It’s manufactured using waste products, so it was an obvious one to include, but it also works nicely with the technology because it can morph to include wireless charging and other features.
“Similarly, we worked with Nature Squared, who we also already knew well. Nature Squared’s business centres around environmental responsibility and the material we showcased in the concept is made from waste feathers from the food industry.
“We also worked with the London Embroidery Studio, which we’ve worked with on several projects. They create totally beautiful pieces. We went to them with a 2D design and a short brief and they created samples using different techniques showing how that pattern could be interpreted. Finally, we worked with Parisian art lacquer and interior decoration specialists Atelier Midavaine. It’s a third-generation family business. Along with their partner Nusom, they created two colourways for the ginkgo leaf motif that features on the wall panels.”
Dating back more than 2,000 years, the art of embroidery is an intriguing addition to a modern design concept for a high-technology jet. Montgomery says the combination of traditional and modern provides inspiration for projects including Private Sanctuary. “Now more than ever, people appreciate time, time spent on something. Crafts like embroidery and lacquer work are really human, totally authentic, and remain an important element in what luxury looks and feels like. But there are ways of blending modern and traditional. The London Embroidery Studio can work with connective threads, for example, so that we can create soft switches through beautiful embroidery. It’s a real mix, finding that bit of magic that creates something special for the client.”
Haslam, Montgomery and Rowan all smile at the suggestion a client might look at the Private Sanctuary renderings and opt for all of it. “They could,” Montgomery says, “but it’s really a starting point as we begin learning about them.”
Haslam explains: “We’ve worked on A350s where the client has been quite involved in the process and enjoyed the collaboration, but then sometimes there are lots of people between us and the principal and that can be more difficult. We’ve started with just a paragraph for a brief in the past, so there’s some interpretation required in the process. Sometimes it’s easier, sometimes more challenging. Right now, we’re finding it easier to show clients materials, cards and inspiration early on, getting them hands on and involved.”
Ultimately and leaving concepts aside, Montgomery summarises PriestmanGoode’s relationship with its clients: “It’s about empathising with the end user. Putting yourself in their shoes, understanding what’s important to them and what will give them the best possible experience.”