The new Rolls-Royce Phantom was unveiled yesterday and it definitely takes luxury to a whole new level. As expected, on the outside, the design changes are small and that’s because customers were already happy with how the flagship from Goodwood was looking. Inside is where the biggest changes happened, including the addition of Rolls’ latest creation, ‘The Gallery’. In plainman’s terms, The Gallery is a dedicated space sitting right in front of the passenger that is now high customizable as some artists already showed on the Phantom.
An application of glass runs uninterrupted across the dash of the New Rolls-Royce Phantom, providing an unprecedented opportunity to present artwork, within the car, defining in Rolls’ own terms what the gallery really is.
“As patrons increasingly commission a Rolls-Royce for its aesthetic power, they trust in the knowledge that only the finest materials fashioned at the hands of a collective of skilled artisans will produce a motor car that transcends its primary role as a means of conveyance, to become a meaningful and substantive expression of art, design and engineering excellence. ‘The Gallery’ is an innovation that furthers Rolls-Royce’s unparalleled Bespoke capabilities. Patrons are now invited to commission artworks for their own personal Gallery within Phantom, in essence, bringing art, within art.” Torsten Müller Ötvös, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said.
Rolls-Royce’s standing as creator of the most celebrated objects in the world is informed by an intimate understanding that true luxury is personal. This philosophy has driven the marque’s collective of designers, artisans and engineers to constantly evolve the canvas from which owners of luxury can express their tastes and lifestyle requirements. An intrinsic part of the Rolls-Royce Design team’s responsibility is to understand and immerse themselves in a world of luxury far beyond automotive horizons. Drawing inspiration from the worlds of fashion, art and design, the collective continually examines the work of experts in their fields, furthering skills and knowledge in order to push the boundaries beyond the limitations car designers are usually confined to.
In conceiving ‘The Gallery’, the design team has done just this. ‘The Gallery’ is a space in which to curate and to commission, to exhibit, admire and reflect.
“The reduced and symmetrically balanced line-work of Phantom’s instrument panel frames a generous and beautifully simple application of glass. It runs, uninterrupted, across the fascia, emphasizing a sense of width. Positioned front and center, it is the focal point of the interior of New Phantom, providing a perfect stage for artworks. This treatment of glass enables an unprecedented opportunity for the protection and presentation of works of art, which is why, we have rather aptly named it, ‘The Gallery’.” Giles Taylor, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said.
From a simple application of wood or metal, to a more complex use of materials not normally viable in an automotive context and enhanced by incorporating relief, ‘The Gallery’ extends the patron’s experience of curation with the marque to a new realm. In this spirit, Alex Innes, Rolls-Royce Bespoke Designer and Creative Lead Designer of ‘The Gallery’ Artist Commissions, has invited artists and master artisans from around the world to interpret ‘The Gallery’. The result? A collection of unique and artistic creations, free from the constraints of automotive design, to inspire the marque’s patrons, in a way that only Rolls-Royce can, showcased in the photo gallery below.
