heavy medal
Winners of the British Land Celebration of Design are announced in London
For fourteen years, the London Design Festival has celebrated the contributions and work of innovative talent within the fields of architecture and design. For the 2016 Festival, four different designers were honored for their work in the fields of Design Innovation, Emerging Talent, Lifetime Achievement and the overall London Design Medal. Recognizing achievements in innovation, originality and imagination, the laureate prize—the London Design Medal—was previously awarded to notable industry leaders such as the late Dame Zaha Hadid, Marc Newson, and Peter Saville.
The 2016 Swarovski Emerging Talent Medal was bestowed upon Bethan Laura Wood, a multidisciplinary creator whose works focus on material investigation, artisan collaboration, rich color and details. Wood’s passion lies with achieving sustainability in mass consumption and has led to breakthrough collaborations with Tory Burch and Hermés.
Wood achieved a Master of Arts in Design Products at the Royal College of Art in 2009. Since that time, she has been commissioned internationally to create pieces for Nilufar Gallery and Abet Laminati and her work has been displayed at venerable institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo and the Victoria & Albert Museum of Childhood.
David Adjaye received the London Design Medal for his transformative work in architecture. With works that span mater planning, retail and commercial buildings and cultural institutions, Adjaye has redefined the ways structures can positively impact communities. His inspiration is drawn from many influences around the world and the end result clearly articulates his passion for issues of place and identity.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to technical illustrator in National Service Sir Kenneth Grange. A product designer and founder of the international design practice Pentagram, Grange’s work spans half a century ranging from bus shelters to razors. Grange has developed products for Kenwood, Bang & Olufsen, and Kodak in addition to being the first designer to hold a one man show at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
The final medal for Design Innovation went to Studio Roosegaarde, the social design lab of Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde. This entrepreneurial team transform ideas and future landscapes into reality through interactive designs and dynamic relationships. Their internationally acclaimed projects include Dune, Waterlicht and Smog Free Project while their works have been exhibited at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Google Zeitgeist, and Tate Modern.
Each winner of the British Land Celebration of Design was chosen for their exceptional contribution to their design discipline. The judging panel included established designers and previous winners including Victoria & Albert Museum Director Martin Roth, Wallpaper Editor in Chief Tony Chambers, and Swarovski Executive Board Member Nadja Swarovski.
An exhibition of the honorees’ work was housed in a custom-built pavilion in Exchange Square in London. The curated pieces demonstrated the breadth of creativity they’ve developed and included photography, furniture, installations and lighting.
