Ron Arad (industrial designer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ron Arad
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Arad in 2017
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| Born | 24 April 1951 |
| Nationality | British-Israeli |
| Occupation | industrial designer, artist, and architectural designer |
Ron Arad (born April 24, 1951) is a famous British-Israeli designer and artist. He creates amazing industrial designs, art, and buildings. He is known for his unique style and for using new materials and technologies in his work.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ron Arad was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. He studied art and design at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem from 1971 to 1973. Later, he moved to London and studied architecture at the Architectural Association School of Architecture from 1974 to 1979. His brother, Atar Arad, is a well-known viola player and teacher.
Ron Arad's Design Career
Ron Arad started his own design and production studio called One Off in 1981. He later formed Ron Arad Associates in 1989, which is a company focused on architecture and design. In 2008, Ron Arad Architects was also created.
His career as a designer began with the Rover chair. This chair was made from a leather seat taken from a Rover P6 car, placed on a steel frame. This showed his early interest in using unusual materials.
Arad loves to try out new materials and technologies. He often changes the way objects look and are built. He was given the title of Royal Designers for Industry (RDI) in 2002. This is a special award for designers who have made a big impact. In 2011, he also won the London Design Medal.
Ron Arad has taught design at universities. He was a professor in Vienna from 1994 to 1997. After that, he taught at the Royal College of Art in London until 2009. He has won many international awards for his work. His designs are shown in famous museums around the world. These include the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London.
He has also worked with many international furniture and design brands. He has even collaborated with fashion, technology, and luxury companies.
Famous Architectural Projects
Ron Arad's architectural company has completed many award-winning projects. Some of these include:
- The Maserati Showroom in Modena, Italy (2002).
- The Yohji Yamamoto Flagship Store in Tokyo, Japan (2003).
- The Design Museum Holon in Holon, Israel (2010).
- The Mediacite shopping center in Liège, Belgium.
His company has also worked on large projects in Israel. They have overseen the building of a big office complex in Tel Aviv. They also worked on a new Cancer Hospital in northern Israel.
Unique Product Designs
From 1997 to 2009, Ron Arad was the head of the Design Products Department at the Royal College of Art. In 1994, he designed the Bookworm bookshelf. This unique, flexible bookshelf is still made by the Italian company Kartell today.
In 2005, Arad created special chandeliers for the Swarovski crystal company. These chandeliers could show text messages using light-emitting diodes (LEDs). He also designed tables that seemed to climb up walls instead of staying in the middle of a room. Many of Arad's designs have smooth, natural shapes and are often made from steel.
In 2008 and 2009, Ron Arad worked with the fashion brand KENZO. He designed his first perfume bottle for them. This bottle was displayed in his art show called No Discipline.
In 2010, Arad started working with New Eye London to design a collection of eyewear.
Art Installations
Ron Arad's art installation called “720 Degrees” opened in 2012. It was placed in the sculpture garden of the Israel Museum. This artwork is made of 5,600 silicone cords that form a large circle. It stands 26 feet above the garden. Visitors can walk inside or outside the structure to see images projected onto it.
In 2017, Ron Arad won a competition to design the UK Holocaust Memorial. He was part of a team that included other famous architects and landscape designers.
See also
- Visual arts in Israel
