A’ Design Award is one of the biggest design awards worldwide, evaluating product design in 100 different product categories according to the Locarno classification of industrial sectors. The competition has been held annually since 2010, and around 100,000 products compete every year for almost 10,000 awards in different fields. The applications are evaluated by an international team of judges which this year comprised 209 design professionals, academics and media representatives from various countries of the world. The best products are selected based on a product’s innovation, functionality, aesthetic design and energy efficiency.
According to Edvardas Radzevičius, CEO of Altas Auto, ‘Every year the Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design category is one of the most popular ones, so the competition among the participating products is very intense. The category encompasses a wide range of products: bicycles, cars, motorcycles, ships and yachts, buses and even trains. This year, 9 winners have been selected in this category, of which the only bus-class product is Altas Viator. The other winners include electric scooters, bicycles, a motorcycle and an electric trolley. Our goal in developing the Altas Viator bus was to create a product that would clearly stand out from the market-standard models, using bold and innovative solutions. The model’s presentation attracted a lot of attention in last year’s IAA exhibition in Hanover and now it has been recognised in this competition, which means that our solutions paid off. This is a recognition of not only us but also of young Lithuanian designer Dominykas Budinas who was the author of this model’s design.’
Altas Viator is a tourist-class bus for long-distance travelling. Its concept is stable dynamics, maintaining the contrast between sharp dynamic looks and clear surfaces. The model is dominated by simple geometry, edges and smooth corners, while the shape of the bus itself creates the impression of movement. This effect is caused by a rear-view camera hidden beneath a delicate spoiler, which together with the rear lights finish the roof line in style. The outline of the bus is highlighted by the Hella lamps whose picture was made from separate segments.
The bus is currently being tested in various operating conditions and its serial production will begin in August this year. At later stages of the product’s development, new Altas Viator models are planned, including a low-floor urban, suburban, school bus and a bus adapted to UK traffic.
