Marcel Wanders

Marcel Wanders

Marcel Wanders, 2013
Born Marcel Wanders
3 July 1963
Boxtel, Netherlands
Residence Amsterdam, Netherlands
Nationality Dutch
Alma mater Institute of the Arts Arnhem, Design Academy Eindhoven
Occupation Product designer
Interior designer
Architect
Years active 1981–present
Employer Alessi
Target Stores and many more
Known for Knotted Chair, Mondrian Hotel South Beach
Website
MarcelWanders.com

Marcel Wanders (2 July 1963) is a Dutch designer, and art director in the Powerhouse studio in Amsterdam, who designs architectural, interior and industrial projects. He became internationally known by his iconic Knotted Chair.

Life

Born in Boxtel, Wanders graduated cum laude from the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Institute of the Arts Arnhem in 1988[1] after being expelled from the Design Academy Eindhoven.[2]

In 1995 he opened his studio in Amsterdam, gaining worldwide attention in 1996 with his iconic Knotted Chair, which paired high tech materials with ‘low tech’ production methods.[3] In 2001 Wanders co-founded the successful design label Moooi.,[4] of which he is co-owner and art director. In 2014 in Wanders works as product and interior designer and art director work in his Powerhouse studio with around 50 international design specialists. They have realized over 1700+ projects[2] for private clients and premium brands such as Alessi, Bisazza, KLM, Flos, Swarovski, Puma, among scores of others.

Wanders received various design prizes, including the Rotterdam Design Prize (for which he has been nominated several times) and the Kho Liang Ie Prize. He has lectured at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Limn, the Design Academy, Nike, IDFA, FutureDesignDays and at many of the world's most prestigious design academies. In July 2002 Business Week selected Marcel Wanders as one of Europe’s ’25 leaders of change’.[5]

Work

Regarded by many as an anomaly in the design world, Marcel has made it his mission to "create an environment of love, live with passion and make our most exciting dreams come true." In his designs Marcel often mixes innovative materials and techniques with references to well known historical styles and archetypes, so users can easily connect to the pieces, enjoying them for a long time and in doing so create sustainable surroundings.

Interior projects have become increasingly important in Marcel’s work, embraced for their enveloping of people in multi-layered, sensory experiences. Notable projects to date include such iconic interior architectural concepts as the Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht, Kameha Grand hotel in Bonn, the Mondrian South Beach hotel in Miami, Quasar Istanbul Residences, and the Villa Moda flagship store in Bahrain - to name but a few - as well as private residences in Amsterdam and Mallorca.

In 2012, Marcel celebrated the launch of his boldest interior project to date, the aforementioned Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht Hotel, operated by the Hyatt Hotels Corporation. House in the city’s former public library, Andaz has been hailed as an experience akin to ‘Alice in Amsterdam,’ a reference to the eponymous Lewis Carroll book, Alice in Wonderland.

Many of Marcel Wanders' designs have been selected for the most important design collections and exhibitions in the world and feature in all leading magazines.[6] In 2006 he was elected International Designer of the Year by Elle Decoration. Marcel Wanders’ first solo-exhibition, ‘Daydreams,’ in 2009, featured in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and his first major museum retrospective in 15 years is planned in January 2014 at Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum. In addition, Marcel regularly presents at the Salone del Mobile in Milan. Marcel has been featured in numerous major design magazines including Domus, Interni, Blueprint, Design Report, Frame, I.D., Abitare, Wallpaper, Nylon, Elle Decoration, Icon, and also in leading news and lifestyle titles such as Esquire, International Herald Tribune, Washington Post, the Financial Times, New York Times and Businessweek.

Notable Projects

Knotted Chair, Droog, 1995.
Egg Vase 1997
Andaz, Amsterdam 2012.

Awards

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ Bernadine Walrecht (2002). Homemade Holland: How Craft and Design Mix. Crafts Council (Great Britain).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Marcel Wanders biography at marcelwanders.nl. Accessed 1 January 2014.
  3. ↑ Bradley Quinn (2010) Textile Futures: Fashion, Design and Technology. p. 185
  4. ↑ Mooit.com Accessed 1 January 2012
  5. ↑ "Business Week". July 2002.
  6. ↑ "Marcel Wanders Pinned Up 25 Years of Design". February 2014.
  7. ↑ "Tableware by Marcel Wanders for KLM". 2 January 2012.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marcel Wanders.