ŠKODA has appointed Royal College of Art alumnus Chan Park as its new head of interior design. His predecessor, Peter Olah, is taking on a new role at Škoda Design.

The car-maker said the interiors of its future production and concept vehicles will bear Mr Park’s signature.

“In addition to a minimalist design approach, Mr Park will focus on enhancing the synergy between driver and vehicle,” said Škoda in a statement.

Mr Park has a wealth of experience from several major automotive brands. Until recently he was the chief interior designer of Shanghai-based electric vehicle manufacturer Nio, which is known for its progress with battery-swapping technology.

Chan Park

Having completed his master’s degree in vehicle design from the Royal College of Art in London in 2007, Mr Park began his professional career at Pininfarina in Italy before moving to Kia Europe in Germany in January 2009, where he was in charge of interior design for several projects.

Mr Park advanced his career at Mercedes-Benz AG as a senior interior designer and from 2013 to 2021, he progressed to the role of senior designer at Audi AG.

His predecessor Peter Olah will remain a member of the Škoda Design team as the responsible for the brand’s “Art Direction – One Design Identity”.

In his new position, Mr Olah will be in charge of defining and overseeing a holistic 360° design strategy including philosophy, style and future trend research.

Head of Škoda Auto Design Oliver Stefani said: “I am delighted to welcome Chan Park to the Škoda Design team. His proven track record with major carmakers makes him the ideal candidate for the head of interior design.

“I’m excited to see him implement his ‘less is more’ design philosophy, perfectly aligning aesthetics and functionality in our vehicles. I’m looking forward to working with him and wish him every success.

“Peter Olah has made a significant contribution to establishing a distinctive, holistic design DNA in the interior of our vehicles.

“I look forward to continuing to work with him in his new position and wish him joy and a lot of success.”