Solar Tree

Philosophy Ross Lovegrove is a designer and visionary who’s work is considered to be at the very apex of stimulating a profound change in the physicality of our three dimensional world. Inspired by the logic and beauty of nature his design possess a trinity between technology, materials science and intelligent organic form, creating what many industrial leaders see as the new aesthetic expression for the 21st Century. There is always embedded a deeply human and resourceful approach in his designs, which project an optimism, and innovative vitality in everything he touches from cameras to cars to trains, aviation and architecture. Born 1958 in Cardiff, Wales. Graduated from Manchester Polytechnic with 1st Class BA Hons Industrial design in 1980. Master of Design of Royal College of Art, London in 1983. In the early 80’s worked as a designer for Frog Design in West Germany on projects such as Walkmans for Sony, Computers for Apple Computers, later moved to Paris as consultant to Knoll International;. Being author of the highly successful Alessandri Office System. Invited to join the Atelier de Nimes along with Jean Nouvel and Phillipe Stark, consulting to amongst others Cacharel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Dupont. Returning to London in 1986 he has completed projects for amongst others Airbus Industries, Kartell, Ceccotti, Cappellini, Idee, Moroso, Luceplan, Driade, Peugeot, Apple Computers, Issey Miyake, Vitra, Motorola, Biomega, LvMH, Yamagiwa Corporation, Tag Heuer, Hackman, Alias, Herman Miller, Artemide, Japan Airlines and Tokyo Ito Architects in Japan. Winner of numerous international awards his work has been extensively published and exhibited internationally including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Guggenheim Museum NY, Axis Centre Japan, Pompidou Centre, Paris and the Design Museum, London, when in 1993 he curated the first permanent collection. His work is held in permanent collections of various design museums around the world including Museum of Modern Art in New York (MOMA), Design Museum in London and Vitra Design Museum Weil Am Rhein, Basel, CH. His work was shown in many exhibitions around the world: ‘Ross Lovegrove – Design’, Danish Museum of Decorative Art, Copenhagen 1998 ‘Organic Dreams’, IDEE, Tokyo 1999 ‘Sensual Orangic Design’, Yamagiwa Corporation, Tokyo 200 Designer of the Year 2001 A&W, Germany ‘Material Transition’, Rheinauen Space, Koln January 2001 ‘Expanding the Gap’, Rendel & Spitz Gallery, Koln with Greg Lynn and Tokujin Yoshioka January 2002 DELIGHTED by Corian with Marc Newson and James Irvine Milan Salone 2003 DESIGNOSAURS, Segheria Milan, April 2004 from Archeology to Architecture SUPERLIQUIDITY, Le Bain Gallery Tokyo 2005 Endurance LIMITED EDITION art pieces, Phillips de Pury & Company, NYC March 2007 SOLAR TREE urban lighting and Swarovski Crystal Aerospace at MAK, Vienna October 2007 CELLULAR AUTOMATION – ORIGIN OF SPECIES 2, Second Nature exhibition curated by Tokujin Yoshioka, 21_21 Design Sight, Tokyo, November 2008 LIQUID SPACE table and chandelier installation for Swarovski Crystal Palaca, Design Miami 2008 PRIMORDIAL, Limited edition art pieces at the Galerist, Istanbul, Jan-Feb 2009 Host of CNN ‘Just Imagine’ documentary presenting a vision of the world 2020 Editor of The International Design Yearbook 2002 Author of the book SUPERNATURAL, The work of Ross Lovegrove by Phaidon with essays by Greg Lynn, Tokujin Yoshioka and Cecil Balmond. Most published designer of the last decade in Domus Magazine Milan. Awards RedDot 2010 Best of the Best Hungarian Design Prize Batimat Design Award 2009 Vogue Traveller Ecology Prize, SOLAR TREE MAK Vienna, 2007 Elle Decor 2006 Good Design 2006 Wall Paper Design Award 2006 World Technology Prize, Time Magazine/CNN 2005 Final Nomination for the Prince Phillip Design Prize 2004 Good Design 2004 JANUS Paris 2004 Awarded Royal Designer for Industry by The Royal Society of Arts 2004 ‘Designer of the Year’, A & W Hamburg 2001 ID Magazine Good Design Award 2000 iF Industrie Forum Design Award, Hannover 1999 Medaille de la Ville de Paris 1998 George Nelson Award 1998 D&AD Silver Medalist ‘G’ Mark Federal Design Prize Japan