Toyota's Calty Design Supports Mobile Living Exhibition/Conference in New York
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., May 15 -- Calty Design Research, a Toyota design studio, announces its support as title sponsor of Mobile Living, an educational exhibition/conference in New York City during New York Design Week, May 21, 2006-23, 2006. Calty will feature two recent advanced concept vehicles created by Calty: Toyota F3R and Scion FUSE.
The exhibition features various forms of futuristic mobile living concepts, including Airstream travel trailers, Adam Kalkin's uniquely prefabricated Push Button House, and a vintage Buckminster Fuller Fly's Eye dome.
Co-organized by two New York based not-for-profit cultural institutions, Exhibitions International and International Design Network Foundation, the exhibition offers unique presentations of a new mobile society utilizing art, design and technology. A conference and panel discussion with top curators, designers and artists who work with mobile subject matter will discuss their projects. At least 6,000 tastemakers and design professionals, including architects, designers, retailers, hotel and restaurant designers, as well as press, students, and the general public are expected to attend.
"The desire for mobility is something that people are born with," says Kevin Hunter, Calty vice president of design and studio operations. "The human race has invented a wide range of technologies in order to satisfy this desire. Now that mobile technologies have infiltrated every aspect of our lives, including work, transportation, communication and leisure, people's interests are shifting more to the experience and questions that accompany the mobility itself."
Merging technology with innovative ideas, Calty aims to pave the way to a new nomadic way of life. The Calty creations provide a glimpse of its aspirations to offer endless possibilities and insight toward the coming era of "mobile living" in the form of the Toyota F3R and the Scion FUSE.
The Toyota F3R is a three-row concept car with a roomy lounge interior, designed to accommodate the needs of the younger generation which perceives the car as a sophisticated extension of the home. In the lounge mode, the right and center sections of the second-row seats fold into the floor and the left-hand seat reclines fully to form, with the third, rearmost row, an avant-garde sofa built around the conversation area, such as one might find in an upscale home.
"It's a living room away from home," says Alan Schneider, project chief designer for the F3R's interior. The car also emphasizes environmentally-sensitive materials, such as the floor panels made from Ecoresin, which is a specially formulated recyclable resin, and a skin-friendly simulated leather seating material called Mythos that, unlike most plastics, does not produce harmful chemical dioxin when burned.
The Scion FUSE is a versatile sports coupe that combines entertainment, digital technology and versatility that transforms the car into a venue for social gatherings. The interior concept is referred to as "one plus stuff" and offers three interior arrangements: video, driving and cargo configurations. In the video mode, the front passenger seat folds flat and serves as a table or footrest. Occupants can utilize video screens to watch movies and play video games or take advantage of wireless fidelity connectivity and instant message their friends. When the car is parked, the tailgate drops down into a curb-high bench for additional seating outdoors. It is paired with rear foldout speakers for an unexpected social environment.
Kevin Hunter, Calty vice president of design and studio operations and Bob Mochizuki, Calty designer will give brief presentations at a press conference at Skylight Studios, 275 Hudson St. (at Spring St.) on Monday, May 22, at 2:30 pm. (http://www.mobile-living.com/)
About Calty Design Research
Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, Calty designs innovative Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicle concepts for the North American market. It was founded in 1973 in Southern California by Toyota, the first automotive company to recognize the importance of "California car culture" and its powerful influence on national trends. Recently, Calty has been credited with design contributions on the production versions of the Toyota Matrix, Avalon, Celica, FJ Cruiser and the 2007 Tundra. Calty has also created numerous motorshow concept vehicles, most recently the Toyota F3R, Scion FUSE, and t2B, Toyota FT-SX, and the Lexus LF-C sports coupe.
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