Milan, April 2017 – Swarovski and Design Miami/ are pleased to announce the three winners of the 2017 Swarovski Designers of the Future Award. Selected from across the globe for their innovative approach to design and pioneering use of new technologies, the winners will present their commissions, which will include innovative surfaces, 3D crystal printing and solar cell technology at Design Miami/ Basel (June 13-18, 2017).
The Swarovski Designers of the Future Award winners are:
·         TAKT PROJECT: a multidisciplinary studio based in Tokyo, with a focus on reinvention and socially driven endeavors.
·         Jimenez Lai: a Los Angeles-based architect who blurs the boundaries between design, art, architecture, sociology and technology, imagining other worlds and design through telling stories.
·         Marjan van Aubel: a Dutch designer based in London who works with materials and objects to blend scientific precision with sensory responsiveness, specializing in solar power.

The award invites the winning designers to advance projects within their selected field using Swarovski’s diverse resources to develop a new prototype or design statement that is inspired or informed by crystal. This year’s recipients have been invited to create work that responds to a brief of ‘Shaping Societies’.

The 2017 Award introduces a new format, with designers selected based on their unique approach within one of three fields: architecture, technology and product design. For the first time, the winners will create designs that can coalesce into one complete environment, to be exhibited as a single installation during Design Miami/ Basel 2017. The finished installation will showcase an engaging mix of forms and technologies.

Each of the Swarovski Designers of the Future Award winners was selected for their ability to implement pioneering concepts and to dream, experiment and innovate within their work. Jimenez Lai will explore design through storytelling to develop captivating surfaces, and to create the overarching architectural space for the installation. TAKT PROJECT will work with cutting-edge technology in collaboration with MICRON3DP Ltd to produce a series of tabletop objects in 3D printed Swarovski crystal – something which has never been attempted before. Marjan van Aubel will work with Swarovski’s in-house experts on solar technology to develop a series of living light objects.

To inspire the creative process, the laureates visited Swarovski’s historic headquarters in Wattens, Austria, to discover the crystal brand’s legacy of innovation and creativity. The designers explored the company’s archives, design centers and innovation programs, taking the opportunity to generate new ideas and experiment with design concepts.

Swarovski will work closely with each designer, supporting the design process and leveraging its own legacy of developing work that is bold, evocative and thoughtful. Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board, commented: “This year we are delighted to evolve the Swarovski Designers of the Future project to create an exciting collaborative space which explores how crystal and innovative technologies can be used to bring together different design disciplines. We look forward to seeing the creations of this talented, forward-thinking group of designers.”

TAKT PROJECT commented: “To be able to work in such an important, innovative area as 3D printing is so exciting for our studio, and something that we would not have access to without the support of the Swarovski Designers of the Future Award. Seeing how Swarovski has pushed the boundaries of creativity using crystal in the past and exploring the archives at Wattens was an inspiring experience and invaluable stimulation for the project.” Jimenez Lai commented: “I’m excited to bring an architectural perspective to this years’ Design Miami/ Basel installation. Working with crystal is a stimulating new challenge as it creates a visual quality that is unlike most other materials architects normally use, and I’m eager to explore this through the design process. The mystical impact that crystal has on lighting and a sense of space, combined with the cutting edge technology embraced by Swarovski throughout its history will help to create a striking sensation.”

Marjan van Aubel commented: “Swarovski’s dedication to working within the boundaries of innovation and climate change is very important to me, and corresponds well with my focus on blending science with sensory responsiveness to develop aesthetic solutions for the future. The combination of crystal and solar power has the potential to be incredibly beautiful and forward thinking.”

The 2017 Swarovski Designers of the Future Award winners were selected by a jury of leading figures in the design world, including Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board; Alexandra Cunningham Cameron, Curatorial Advisor of Design Miami/; Alexis Georgacopoulos, Director of ECAL; Yves Behar, entrepreneur and founder of fuseproject; Spencer Bailey, Editor in Chief of Surface Magazine; and Deyan Sudjic, Director of the Design Museum, London.