People

German architect Frei Otto was posthumously named the 2015 Pritzker Prize laureate. On Monday, the 89-year-old architect passed away, causing the Pritzker jury to push the prize announcement forward by two weeks. The jury visited the architect prior to his death to inform him of their decision. “Our jury was clear that, in their view, Frei Otto’s career is a model for...

German designer Werner Aisslinger has been at the forefront of design technology since he entered the design scene in the early 1990s. A graduate of the Hochschule de Künst in Berlin, he formed Studio Aisslinger in 1993 and immediately began testing the limits of design. He is the first designer to have industrialized techno gel in furniture, and he was creating modul...

Blending cultures and materials, Sebastian Herkner has very quickly paved his way in the world of design. Since graduating from the Offenbach University of Art and Design in 2007, he has established his own studio and designed for the likes of ClassiCon, Moroso, La Chance, Sancal and Rosenthal. Despite being in the early stages of his career, Sebastian’s work demonstr...

With thirty years of design experience under his belt, Ross Lovegrove is one of the more prominent designers of his generation. He works at the crossroads of technology, material research and organic inspiration. His products frequently take their form from nature, yet are executed using innovative technology and interesting applications of materials. We had the priv...

Walking into Piet Hein Eek‘s studio is rather like walking into a living ecosystem of art and design. Located in a disused Philips factory, the space is veritably buzzing with restaurants, shops and galleries, a hub of refreshing liveliness in Eindhoven. And the space also makes it abundantly clear that Piet Hein Eek is more than a designer. He’s a (very successful) busi...

Formed in 2011, Pelle is the design studio of Korean-American designer Jean Pelle and German designer Oliver Pelle. Their very first collection debuted at ICFF 2013 to warm reception. Currently based in Brooklyn, New York, the couple originally met at the Yale School of Architecture and both have extensive experience working in architecture. Oliver spent seven years a...

Atelier Areti is comprised of Gwendolyn and Guillane Kerschbaumer, sisters with impressive credentials and loads of talent. Greek for virtue, goodness, righteousness, Areti represents the team’s design philosophy – a philosophy which eschews the importance of objects to focus on the importance of beautiful and well-designed objects. Their goal is not just to create but r...

You will never be as cool as Bec Brittain, so you can just stop trying. The 33-year-old designer founded her studio in 2011 and set to work creating one-of-a-kind lighting. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Brittain’s diverse background is easily discernible in her designs. She studied industrial design at Parsons, has a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from New York University...

Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas did not initially want to become an architect but rather an artist or a poet. Architecture was his last choice, however a simple glance at his prodigious body of work reveals that it has been an excellent decision. Fuksas opened his first studio in 1967, while he was completing his degree at La Sapienza University in Rome. For tho...

Keeping one foot firmly planted in the future while respecting the past, MAD Architects seeks to create works of individual expression while being mindful of community needs. Indeed, “tension” perhaps best describes the firm’s futuristic designs. Headed by Ma Yansong, the firm’s founder, and principal architects, Qun Dong and Yosuke Hayano, MAD Architects flawlessly inte...

We loved 2013! We got to travel the world and meet amazing talents that are producing contemporary design icons. What could be better? Out of the many faces and plethora of fantastic designs, three particular characters left their mark in our memories. RON GILAD Perhaps unsurprisingly, Israeli designer Ron Gilad left his impression on us. Wallpaper Magazine and Elle...

If you haven’t heard of nendo, you probably don’t get on the internet much these days. Oki Sato’s brand is absolutely everywhere. In 2013 alone, nendo has presented almost fifty products and projects, ranging from lighting to cutlery to dog toys. Of course, fifty already seems like a lot, but the Japanese designer has admitted to working on over two hundred projects at o...

Luca Nichetto loves to say that he is more Venetian than Italian, an understandable distinction considering the rich cultural, linguistic and even culinary history of his beloved city. Not to mention the fact that he received his Industrial Design degree from the IUAV in Venice and even began his career as a Murano glass designer for Salviati before launching his own stu...

Born in Kurdistan and based in Sweden, Jangir Maddadi creates objects that flawlessly marry function and form. He formed the Jangir Maddadi Design Bureau in 2008 and has since been producing consistently sleek and modern designs that manage a wink of fun. All of his designs are 100% made in Sweden, and Maddadi ensures that his products are manufactured by the best of the...

Love Kenneth Cobonpue? We examine even more craftsmanship from the Philippines in the latest edition of our e-magazine. Check it out! Kenneth Cobonpue seems to be contemplating his next move after years of accumulating international design awards. When we say Kenneth is looking ahead, we do mean that this world-renowned, Filipino designer, creative director of Desig...

Despite the numerous awards hanging from his proverbial belt, Karim Rashid is curiously approachable. He states that he has “let go” of his ego, removing his attachment from prizes and accolades. It’s true that he manifests a certain removal from his success, a distance that, at times, flirts with a careful self-deprecation. The Egyptian-born designer walks a delicat...

Noé Duchaufour Lawrance functions outside of the realm of limitations. That much is clear. Rather than restricting himself to one specific aspect of design, he works across fields and takes on projects ranging from industrial design to scenography and everything in between. His philosophy does not limit objects as such but rather views them as organic forms that grow an...

GamFratesi, of course! Elle DECO’s Young Designer 2013, GamFratesi is the poster child for 21st century cross cultural, international design studios with an award list so well-endowed that it continues below the fold of their site’s about page. The craft tradition of Denmark muddled with the intellectual and conceptual approach of Italy has been serving up minimal, brill...

With their ability to make traditional objects new again, Stockholm-based Front is a design trio that has our (and everyone else’s) attention. Consisting of Sofia Lagerkvist, Charlotte von der Lancken and Anna Lindgren, the group met at Stockholm’s School of Arts, Crafts & Design where they were studying industrial design. Ten years after they first presented at the Stoc...

Sitting across from French designer François Azambourg, it quickly becomes clear that he is actually one part designer and two parts whimsical inventor. His intense fascination with materials consistently drives his creative process, leaving a studio populated with prototypes and the remnants of experiments – projects that are, were and never will be. As the perfect e...

Stockholm-based design studio Form Us With Love was formed in 2005 by three former product design students at Kalmar University. FUWL could be defined by its refusal to view design through a microscope. Founding trio John Löfgren, Jonas Pettersson, and Petrus Palmér insist on examining design as an entire process, from the idea’s conception to its (mass) production. In f...

Philippe Nigro makes fabulous designs that also feel somehow accessible. After completing studies in the Decorative Arts at La Martinière and Ecole Boulle, he became a freelance designer, working closely with renowned Italian architect and designer Michele De Lucchi until 2012. Indeed, Mr. Nigro has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Ligne R...

More than a simple name, British designer Christopher Guy is a brand. Since selling his first mirror frame at Harrods in 1994, the designer’s signature style has become synonymous with elegance and luxury. And his clear, unwavering vision of a globally attractive design offering is certainly a key element of his success. Christopher Guy was born in Britain but raised ...

With the latest generation of designers, the working model of the entire industry is evolving. From conception to fabrication, more and more designers are taking the design process into their own hands. London-based designer Benjamin Hubert is one of the forerunners of this trend. Case in point: his new Tenda lights. The studio will be manufacturing and distributing them...

Mendes da Rocha – known for projects including the Museum of Contemporary Art at the University of São Paulo and the Brazilian Sculpture Museum – was selected by this year's Biennale curator Alejandro Aravena for the prestigious architecture award. A citation from Aravena and the board of Biennale directors praised the architect for the timelessness of his designs. ...

Zaha Hadid was widely regarded to be the greatest female architect in the world today. Born in Baghdad in 1950, she studied mathematics at the American University of Beirut before starting her architectural journey in 1972 at the Architectural Association in London. By 1979 she had established her own practice in London – Zaha Hadid Architects – garnering a reputation a...

Andreas Ruby, architecture critic, curator, teacher, publisher and the new Director of the Swiss Architecture Museum, pays his respects to the life, work and brilliance of Dame Zaha Hadid who died suddenly on March 31, 2016 at the age of 65. We all have to die, but strangely the terrible news of the sudden death of Zaha Hadid had something unreal about it, as if it si...

since frei otto‘s passing earlier this year, there has been a global outpouring of tributes to a man who sought to redefine the very limits of architecture. quite simply, no other architect provided as many decisive ideas to construction in the second half of the 20th century as frei otto. through the exploration of energy-efficient building techniques, otto’s work c...

Public space in Poland is often a bit of an overlooked terrain it seems – even for those who live there. During communism it was state-run and tainted, something to be shut outside. Today it is something for which many people do not feel responsible, leaving it to lie unkempt and unregarded, or to be gradually privatised between anonymous new developments. However, this ...

Zhang Ke named his practice standardarchitecture, although standard is not a word easily applied to this Chinese architect’s work. Having set up 14 years ago as one as one of the earliest private practitioners in China, he has since been involved with projects deeply imbued with a sensibility of place, from the inner city hutongs of Beijing to the slopes of the Tibetan ...

Isareli architect Moshe Safdie, who is now based in Boston, was named the 2015 recipient of the American Institute of Architects' highest accolade, last week. He will receive the award almost 50 years after his ground-breaking Habitat 67 housing project in Montreal was presented at the 1967 World Expo as a vision for the future of cities, combining high-rise living with...

News: Foster + Partners has been given the title "most admired architect" for the ninth consecutive year, in a global survey of architecture firms. London-based Foster + Partners, led by architect Norman Foster, won 17 per cent of the vote in the World Architecture 100 2015, a survey of the world's biggest practices undertaken by architecture website BD. "To be vot...

Design Miami 2014: an exhibition opens today at the Bass Museum of Art celebrating the work of flamboyant American architect Peter Marino – the recipient of Design Miami's inaugural Design Visionary award. The exhibition at Miami Beach's Bass Museum of Art is curated by Jérôme Sans and titled One Way: Peter Marino. Marino is best known for his store designs for luxury ...

The makeup school furniture is really essential, composed mainly of make-up mirrors, consoles and chairs. Why overlook these important aspects to provide students a proper education?

The main objective when designing a home which will be inhabited by children is creating a space for dialogue, sharing and complicity to favour relational and self-learning experiences, in an environment which is as safe and well-balanced as possible. By implementing a few but highly essential changes, it is possible to create a serene atmosphere, attentive to the needs ...

Inhale the cool evening air or the early morning breeze, enjoy the warmth of the sun and relax outdoors, alone or in company. This can be achieved by transforming the outdoor areas of the house, whether they are small terraces, gardens or large spaces with swimming pools, into authentic outdoor living areas that extend beyond the interiors and can be equipped with everyt...