This was LABesDESIGN x CUPRA 2026
The latest edition of LABesDESIGN x CUPRA 2026 brought together students and creative profiles from different design disciplines in an intensive experience of innovation, strategy and co-creation aimed at solving a real brand challenge. Over the course of two collaborative working days, participants worked in multidisciplinary teams with the goal of redefining the future of CUPRA City Garage as a living, cultural and experiential ecosystem capable of connecting with new audiences.
The LAB, now established as one of ESDESIGN’s key spaces for experimentation and connection with industry, took the form this year of a creative sprint based on a real brief proposed by CUPRA: to turn City Garage into the city’s “place to be”, reinforcing its brand DNA through new activations, services, experiences and community-driven proposals.
Starting with an initial briefing and challenge analysis session, the teams received the strategic context of the brand, identified emerging trends in retail, culture, technology and Generation Z behaviour, and developed a complete proposal from a 360º customer journey perspective: before, during and after the visit to the space. The process was complemented by networking dynamics, idea review sessions and mentoring to enhance the conceptual quality and feasibility of the proposals.
During this edition, different concepts were presented exploring new ways of connecting brand, community and physical space. These included proposals focused on the creation of global cultural communities, phygital co-creation platforms, immersive experiences based on artificial intelligence, live streaming spaces and new experiential formats linked to nightlife creativity, music and participatory design.
The winning proposal was developed under the concept Ride Your Life, a vision that reimagines City Garage as a living and ever-changing space where each day of the week activates a different experience linked to creativity, music, networking and urban culture.
The project stands out for its ability to transform the space into a true intergenerational meeting point, designed to recover the tangible in an era dominated by the digital. The proposal introduces activations such as Creative Nights, evening sessions focused on creation and connection between creative profiles; Morning Raves, a reinterpretation of coffee and music culture as a social experience; CUPRA Sounds, a showcase for emerging artists; and Connected Tables, interactive tables linking different City Garages on a global scale to encourage collaboration between creators from different cities.
One of the aspects most highly valued by the jury was the strategic solidity and the high creative level of the proposals presented, which stood out for their ability to generate memorable experiences, strengthen the emotional connection with the brand and propose new ways of building community around the CUPRA ecosystem. All of them brought forward innovative, viable visions aligned with the brand’s DNA, highlighting the talent, cross-disciplinary approach and responsiveness of the participating teams.
With this new edition, LABesDESIGN reaffirms its vocation as a space where design, strategy and innovation converge to respond to real industry challenges, connecting emerging talent with leading brands and placing students in high-impact professional dynamics.
