Luigi Colani
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Luigi Colani, (born in Berlin on August 2, 1928 as Lutz Colani) is a Swiss designer with Kurd ancestors. 1946 he studied sculpture and painting in Berlin, 1949 to 1952, he studied aerodynamics at the Sorbonne in Paris.
In the 1950s he designed cars for companies such as Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Volkswagen, or BMW. In 1957, he dropped his given first name Lutz and henceforth went by the name of Luigi. In the 1960s, he began designing furniture, and as of the 1970s, he expanded in numerous areas, ranging from small household items such as ballpoint pens or television sets to trucks or whole kitchens. A very striking grand piano created by Colani is manufactured and sold by the Schimmel piano company (image (http://www.colani.de/html/wing.htm) from Colani Web site (http://www.colani.de/html/menue.htm)). 1972 he designed the Eifelland formula one car, driven in the F1 World championship only that year.
The prime characteristic of his designs are the rounded, organic forms, which he claims are ergonomically superior to traditional designs. His "ball kitchen" from 1969 is the most prominent example of this school of thought. Many of his designs for small appliances are being mass-produced and marketed, but his larger designs have not been built in series.
His unconventional designs have made him famous, not only in design circles, but also to the general public. He has received numerous design awards.
Currently, he lives in Karlsruhe, Germany, and works as a product designer for DaimlerChrysler.
External link
- Official web site (http://www.colani.de/)de:Luigi Colani