Pininfarina supercharges court design
Pininfarina, for many the godfather of Italian car design, has teamed up with Iconic, a new sports design brand, to launch a gorgeously designed interactive padel court. Not only can you adjust the lighting, glass ‘defrosting’ and even the opacity of the glass in bright conditions, you can charge your phone or re-pressurise your balls. All without leaving court. The Bandeja finds out more from Pininfarina and Iconic founders Leonardo Giangreco Biancheri, Pierfrancesco Iazeolla and Miguel Bonilla.
Pininfarina was commissioned by Iconic to create a court taking sports design to a new level. The Iconic court marries innovative design with advanced technologies, including the ability to review actions and movements in order to improve performance.
Paolo Pininfarina, Chairman of PininFarina Group said: “Padel has become a global phenomenon, a way of life. The Iconic padel court combines timeless beauty with the best technology available for players, offering an all-around Pininfarina experience. The design respects nature and embodies sport at the highest level, encapsulating sophistication and innovation in an unparalleled concept.”
Performance
“It is a source of great satisfaction for us to have partnered with such a historic made-in-Italy brand as Pininfarina,” said Leonardo Giangreco Biancheri, CEO of Iconic. “Pininfarina’s design embodies the values of quality, precision and performance we desired for Iconic Padel Court. We are honoured to be able to work together in creating a court that is unique in style and functionality.”
The court meets standards of the International Padel Federation, can be installed anywhere in the world and can be freestanding or fixed to the ground depending on client needs. It integrates innovative finishings and materials including fibreglass coating, laminated tempered glass with concealed ground fixing, faux leather protectors, as well as perfectly integrated LEDs, displays and cameras.
Built-in tech
The court is packed with technology; the net poles, for example, are designed as access hubs with integrated touch displays and voice assistant. Each post includes an automatic net tensioning system and a ball pressurisation module. Players can change lighting or glass defrosting levels. The court is also equipped with a recharging stations for electronic devices.
Four cameras are integrated into the court in each light post at a height of 6m. Through the use of AI they analyse court movements for in-depth game analysis. An additional four wide-angle cameras (two in the short sides and one for each net post) are used for social sharing.
All cameras are managed through two touch displays integrated in glass panels through which it is possible to work on training sessions and update the scoreboards.
“Iconic padel court is a unique and exclusive offer in the universe of padel. We are thrilled to collaborate with Pininfarina and proud to participate in the creation of this masterpiece of sports design,” said Miguel Bonilla, Iconic’s Global Sales Director.
The Iconic padel court is available for pre-sale with deliveries schedule by the end of 2023.
www.iconicsportdesign.com
