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March Designer Focus
March Designer Focus
"Britannia 2000" the New Royal Yacht design
When did you begin designing?
I was born into an artistic family in 1962 and have been designing since childhood… I grew up surrounded by books and paintings, music and sculpture, and summers were spent travelling Europe on the ‘Grand Tour’… my earliest memories are of amazing palaces, paintings and artefacts, and exotic foreign cultures, whilst back
home the sculptures of Henry Moore seemed to be everywhere and most of my time was spent re-designing and re-shaping all of my toys… Apart from a few years break during my late teens and early twenties playing tennis tournaments for a living, I have never really done anything but design…
How would you describe your design style?
It blurs the traditional boundaries between art and practicality, reinventing everyday objects as timelessly elegant sculptures… nature and mathematics are the main influences…Like Colin Chapman the founder of the Lotus car company and Formula One racing team famously used to tell his engineers and designers to “Add Lightness”, I have always in the same vein sought to “Add Simplicity” – simple elegance will always be in-vogue, and designs which don’t become dated and which enjoy a long life represent a sound investment for both the manufacturer and purchaser or client, as well as being far better for the environment than throwaway fashion…Intra magazine very kindly reviewed our work saying “The link between art and design is rarely encapsulated so neatly”, something which pleased us immensely, whilst elsewhere the press have compared our designs with Philippe Starck and sculptor Henry Moore…
What designs are you best known for?
The most obvious would be “Britannia 2000”, the New Royal Yacht design which was widely featured in the press and at the London Boat Show at the time when a new Royal Yacht for Britain was on the cards – during this time we also developed a revolutionary new style of motoryacht stern, which a decade later has become the industry standard. More recently, our “Saturn+Moon” Radiators for Italian manufacturer Antrax IT won Best Design award in Italy and featured on the front covers of the Italian design press and in design museum displays, whilst our “Blade” radiator for the same manufacturer was shortlisted for Italy’s Grandesign prize. We have also styled the products of a well-known inventor over the years…
What are you currently working on?
Latest releases include a series of sculptural rugs for the Nodus designer collection in Milan, working on a number of corporate identity projects, a highly original new kitchen concept being developed in Italy for a 2010 release, and another new radiator design “Ghibli” which will launch in the spring at Milan Design Week. Additionally we are always working independently on our own wide-ranging new ideas and concepts…
What areas do you design for?
We are pleased to consider pretty much anything, as our timeless design style and way of working lends itself usefully to almost every area and aspect of life…Past and present projects encompass architecture and interiors, furniture, lighting and electrical products, homewares, private and public transport, clothing, sports and luxury goods, brand and corporate identity work, packaging and merchandising, design psychology, and the aforementioned ‘Royal Yacht’
What would you like to design next?
We are always pleased to hear from anyone who has something they would like us to consider – we just love to design, and every project brings something new and interesting. We also currently have a number of innovative furniture, lighting, homewares, bathroom and public area concepts we are seeking manufacturers for.
Launched on April 2006 at the prestigious Milan Salon, Blade has been designed to solve the practical problem of fitting radiators into tall and narrow or low spaces, with an elegant piece of abstract sculpture that would not look out of place in New York's Museum of Modern Art. Blade's futuristic liqui-metal form draws inspiration equally from nature, science fiction and the compelling work of Italian artist Lucio Fontana. Blade appears to float off the wall and features hidden workings, controls and plumbing. Blade uses the fully integrated approach to design pioneered by the automotive industry to achieve an elegantly minimalist floating appearance. Blade's uniquely space efficient slimline proportions and ability to mount vertically or horizontally, gives architects and designers maximum freedom, and allows them the opportunity to bring designer chic and dramatic style to even the tiniest washrooms. As a timeless design which neatly addresses a real problem area for radiators, Blade has the potential to be a huge commercial success long into the future. Blade is being produced by Italian manufacturer of designer radiators, An-trax Art Heating, who are also collaborating with other celebrated designers like Ferrari designer Massimo losa Ghini.
If you would like Peters help on a design project you may have or would like some fresh ideas for your product development needs, then please click on this link to send him a message.
Peter Rankin
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