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Once a challenger brand in the automotive world, CUPRA has steadily entered a new era, one that’s more complex and ambitious than ever. With the launch of the CUPRA Design House, the Barcelona-based label is now shifting gears entirely. The goal? To translate its disruptive design language beyond the car and into the wider worlds of fashion, architecture, interiors and product design.
At the heart of this evolution is Francesca Sangalli, Creative Director of CUPRA, who sees the automobile not as the endpoint of design, but as its beginning, a gateway to reimagining how we live, move, and connect. In a conversation with Numéro Berlin, Sangalli talks about the ideas behind the newly launched Design House, the pillars that structure its vision and why innovation means nothing without emotion.
The CUPRA Design House is the go-to place for bold and unconventional design in lifestyle territories.
Numéro Berlin: CUPRA Design House marks a new chapter for your brand. Why now – and why expand beyond the automotive world?
Francesca Sangalli: The car is one of the most complex design objects you can work on. It brings together space, product, and story – for me, that’s the ultimate design challenge. With CUPRA Design House, we’re tapping into that complexity, but pushing it even further. It’s about expanding the boundaries of what design can be.
What sparked the move to go beyond traditional car design and establish your own Design House?
The CUPRA Design House is all about taking our distinctive and unconventional style beyond the automotive world. We’re exploring new territories through creative collaborations and by embracing innovative manufacturing technologies and materials. For us, it’s about pushing boundaries – whether that’s through 3D printing, which redefines precision and adaptability, or 3D knitting, where craftsmanship meets cutting-edge tech. Our projects span everything from fashion and accessories to product design, architecture and interior design. That’s why we see the CUPRA Design House as the go-to space for bold, forward-thinking design across lifestyle categories.
How would you describe the creative approach behind the CUPRA Design House?
It’s less about form, and more about experience. At CUPRA, we want design to move people, not just through aesthetics, but through the way things feel, connect, and perform. We’re creating moments that are immersive and emotionally charged, using material innovation and tech as tools for storytelling.
CUPRA Collections, CUPRA Collabs, and CUPRA Beyond – these three pillars form the foundation of the Design House. How did these areas come into focus?
The CUPRA Design House is built on three main pillars. First, there’s the CUPRA Collection, our range of ready-to-wear pieces and accessories that really reflect the brand’s style and values. Then we have CUPRA Collabs, where we team up with top-tier brands and artists who share our DNA and creative spirit. And finally, CUPRA Beyond, which is all about taking our design obsession into completely new territories. Each pillar stands on its own, but together they explore different facets of our forward-thinking design vision, always driven by collaboration and a desire to keep pushing boundaries.
You launched the CUPRA Design House during Milan Design Week. Why was that the ideal stage for its debut?
Milan is where creative worlds collide – design, fashion, art, architecture. It’s not just a fair, it’s a mindset. For us, that was the ideal environment to debut the Design House, to share a vision and connect with people who think beyond the expected.
With the CUPRA Design House, you’re deliberately breaking away from conventional expectations of automotive design. What challenges did that present?
It meant rethinking our whole approach, how we design, how we build, how we communicate. Integrating processes like 3D printing and parametric design isn’t just about tools, it’s about a shift in mentality. That was tough, but also liberating.
What do you feel is missing from the global design landscape – and what can CUPRA bring to it that has perhaps been lacking?
There’s often a gap between people and technology. Things can be smart and functional but still feel cold. We want to bridge that, to create designs that are not just efficient, but emotionally resonant. Human connection is the key.
What does the future hold for the CUPRA Design House – what projects or visions can we look forward to?
We want to keep growing the culture. That means more work in fashion, architecture, and digital design. We’re interested in how design can shape how people live, feel, and move.
As CUPRA evolves from a car brand into a design culture, what does that mean for your role as Creative Head?
It’s both challenging and rewarding. Expanding our design vision across disciplines requires constant adaptation and the pursuit of innovation.
And finally: If you had to describe the CUPRA Design House in a single sentence, what would it be?
Authentic.
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