Design research:10 designers

1. Antoni Gaudi
Gaudi inspired me to go into interior architecture. The first time I saw his La Sagrada Familia I was in awe. I didn't think buildings could look that.....awesome. The Sagrada is very organic looking, but also has a dark feel to it, which I love. There is just so much to look at. My favorite parts are the towering spires and the doors with letters all over them. Gaudi was born in 1852. He had rheumatic health problems as a child and couldn't move much. He spent hours observing animals, plants, and stones. When he was older he moved to Barcelona to atten the Provincial School of Architecture. He often missed class and spent hours in the library. He said that design/style doesn't depend as much on aesthetics as it does on the social and political atmosphere. Gaudi had blonde hair and blue eyes and was known for his bad temper. I think he was a genius and I could spend hours looking at his buildings.

2. Mike and Maaike
Ever since I saw an article on these designers in I.D. I have been obsessed with their jewelery. There are no jewels in their pieces. Their necklaces and earrings don't look like they could exist outside of a computer. They look pixelated and when people wear them it looks very surreal. They are made of leather and would look very trendy with almost any outfit. I really loved how they used something imperfect, like something being pixelated, ad turned it into an awesome piece to wear.

3. Victor Horta
I stumbled across this designer through my art 101 class. I saw the Hotel Tassel and immediately fell in love. I have art nouveau posters all over my house and it is one of my favorite styles. His staircase looks like something out of a dream. He used very organic shapes, based in nature when designing this hotel. Victor was born in Ghent. He moved to Paris to become an interior designer. He loved using metal, glass, and curves in his work. He settled in Brussels where he raised a family. He was inspired by art nouveau. He became very sucessful after he completed the Hotel Tassel. He did many buildings in Brussels. After art nouveau fell out of trend many of his buildings were sadly destroyed.

4. Frank Lloyd Wright
How could I not talk about Frank! Seeing his Falling Water building was the first time I ever became interested in architecture. The Guggenheim Museum is also one of my favorites. It curves around, elegantly guiding you up and down. He was born in 1867 in Wisconsin. His mother was determined that he become an architect. When he was older he moved to Chicago and was hired as a tracer. there he met Louis Sullivan, the only man Frank said to have influenced him. In 1909 he left for europe for 2 yrs, with his scandalous relationship with Mamah. In 1914 a newly hired chef locked all but one door of his house and set it on fire. As Mamah and her two children fled the building he cut them down brutally. Frank was devastated and buried himself in his work. His commissions dwindled during the great depression so he wrote several books. In 1934 he built Falling Water in Pennsylvania. His popularity sky-rocketed afterwards. He died on April 9th, 1959.

5. SOM
SOM is a design firm i've run across a lot in numerous magazines. Their buildings are bold, and seem to be the future of architecture. They are currently working on several projects in Dubai, and one happens to be the tallest building in the world. Their buildings stand out in any cityscape. They have offices located across the world and work on projects internationally.

6. Bart Prince
I ran across this designer while flipping through Architectural Digest. His interior caught my eye. It looks like a jungle, with tons of different textures and wood. There is a 75 foot pool that runs through the middle. It's covered with mosaics. The living spaces are designed around the pool. I'm a big fan of anything having to do with water so this caught my eye right away. Bart was born in 1947 in New Mexico. He attended the College of Architecture at Arizona University in 1965. In 1968 he was awarded the Architectural Foundation Travel Giant award. He has been working ever since.

7.Niki de Saint Phalle
I also stumbled across this designer through Architectural Digest. Her garden that is made of mosaics and inspired by tarot cars is a dream I want to live in. She was born in 1930 in France. She was kicked out of numerous private schools. She once painted bright red fig leaves all over school statues and the school recommends psychiatric help. In 1948 she works as a model and becomes interested in acting. In 1953 she has a nervous breakdown. Painting was therapy to her so she decided to become and artist. In 1955 she visits Gaudi's Park Guell and she says it changed her life. She works as an artist and has shows and installations all over the world. In 1982 she finally begins work on her tarot gardens. She still shows her art, and does so up until she died. I was very fond of this designer. If I could have an ideal life, hers would be it. I also identified with her because i had to be taken out of public school and put into private. I've been in 7 different schools over the past seven years, so her early years inspired me and gave me hope. I think I might become a huge fan of this woman.

8. Sumo Lounge
I think that it is a really cool idea to go back to something simple(and cheap) and redo the design a little to make it look like high design. I like the multi-functionality of heir beanbags. They can be used as a chair or a love seat. I also like how they only specialize in beanbags. It's cool that they are so specific.

9. Cedric Ragot
Cedric combines creativity with industrial reality. He graduated from the French National Institute for Advanced Study in Design. He founded his own company at the age of 29. his designs are very modern looking. The design that caught my eye was his Fast Vases. They look like they are in very powerful wind and being blown away.

10. David Menting
David works for the company JSPR. He focuses on indoor and outdoor furniture. His "landscape of relaxation" is what caught my eye. It's a bunch of green chairs that can fit together in different ways and patterns. It reminds me of looking out plane windows and seeing the ground beneath you.