ArtCenter Unveils Unique Mobility Experience Lab By Genesis, Hyundai & Kia

ArtCenter College of Design officially unveiled the Mobility Experience Lab by Genesis, Hyundai & Kia at its South Campus in Pasadena, California.

At the unveiling ceremony, before a ceremonial toast and a reveal of the new space, ArtCenter President and CEO Karen Hofmann said, “[This] is a place to dream, explore, innovate and design. [This is] a lab fully dedicated to providing ArtCenter students, as future design leaders, with the very best tools, latest technologies and resources needed to set them up for successful careers in art and design.”

Made possible thanks to the generosity of automakers Genesis, Hyundai & Kia, the Lab is a space for creativity and innovation, providing driving simulations for a wider variety of scales and experiences than is typically found in the automotive industry.

The history of the Lab dates back nearly 10 years to 2015 when Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice President Karl Kim first approached ArtCenter with a vision to engage top-caliber students, faculty, industry professionals and Hyundai executives as futurists, using their combined artistry to visualize new possibilities for the next generation.

Out of that relationship and a $3 million gift, the Lab was opened at the College’s Hillside Campus. The Lab immediately became the focal point of ArtCenter’s initiatives in human experience, hosting additional sponsored projects and classes centered on interior design, human/machine interface design and similar areas of study.

Designed by Darin Johnstone Architects, who also designed the adjacent Mullin Transportation Design Center, the Mobility Experience Lab by Genesis, Hyundai & Kia will focus on the human experience of vehicles and transportation systems, enabling industry-leading instruction, demonstration and student experimentation.

In the Lab, students will study how end-users react to different kinds of lighting, sounds, control interfaces, motion and information, as well as human factors in design psychology and mobility design. They will work together in transdisciplinary courses, projects and workshops, and separately in highly specialized settings with top experts in their respective fields.

“Many of us call [ArtCenter] home,” said Hak Soo Ha, ArtCenter alumnus and design director at Hyundai Motor Group, after being handed an honorary pencil from Hofmann in recognition of the collaboration between Hyundai and the College. “ArtCenter provided community, colleagues and is still a source of many inspirations, so we’re very excited to be here.”

“We’re very proud to be a part of this,” said Andre Franco Luis, advanced design manager at Kia America, after receiving a pencil from Hofmann. “We wouldn’t be who we are without the alumni from ArtCenter. We just recruited an alumnus about two months ago. And we hope to continue to discover great talent.”

“Being connected to ArtCenter is rewarding in a variety of different ways, but for me, it’s actually very selfish, because it’s my number one opportunity to recruit some of the best talent in the world,” said John Krsteski, senior chief designer at Genesis, North America and an ArtCenter faculty member, after being handed a pencil from Hofmann. “My entire design team, except for one or two people, are literally from ArtCenter. Over the years, we realized what an important thing it is to build a strong relationship between our companies, Genesis, Hyundai and Kia, and ArtCenter. We hope to continue that for many years.”

“On behalf of all of us at ArtCenter, we are incredibly grateful to Karl Kim for envisioning this Lab, and to Genesis, Hyundai and Kia for creating a legacy here at the College through your continued support of ArtCenter and our students,” said Hofmann. “We are excited about the future and what is yet to take place here and we look forward to many collaborations.”

The following day, ArtCenter guests received a preview of not only the Mobility Experience Lab, but also the adjacent and newly unveiled Mullin Transportation Design Center. On Saturday, the College pulled out all the stops for “Beyond Supersonic,” a day full of exploration and activities celebrating the reimagined 950 Building and the soon-to-be-completed Fabrication Shops at 908. Events included an Art Market, featuring over 60 student and alumni vendors; the third annual Design Invitational automotive exhibition; panel discussions on AI and the future of transportation design; showcases of student work; and more.