by Anna Coppola
WHAT’S HAPPENING
- The first SleepBox, a stand-alone mini-hotel room, has been installed in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport . It can be rented for between 30 minutes and several hours to allow travellers to kill time comfortably between flights (Dezeen.com, 11 September 2011).
- The ash-veneered booth, designed by Russian architects Arch Group, contains two beds, LED lamps, and sockets for charging laptops and mobile phones.
- According to Arch Group, the Sleepbox “provides moments of quiet sleep and rest without wasting time in search for a hotel”. Other suggested locations for the Sleepbox include railway stations, exhibition centres, public areas and shopping centres.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS
- As more Russians embrace 24-hour urban culture, they welcome comfort corners where they can find a little rest.
- Functionality is important to Russians, but design is now a crucial element in the appeal of new products. Just like their peers abroad, Russians consumers expect functional things to look cool and contemporary too.
RESOURCES
