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March 9, 2014

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Designer Claudio Colucci

Source: Shanghai Daily | March 9, 2014, Sunday | Print Edition

WHO is he?

An internationally renowned interior and product designer, Claudio Colucci was born in 1965 in Switzerland of an Austrian mother and an Italian father. He qualified in graphic design in Geneva and then studied industrial design in Paris at ENSCI — les ateliers, then completed his training with an exchange to Kingston Polytechnic in England. He worked with Ron Arad, Nigel Coates, Pascal Mourgue and Philippe Starck, and helped found Radi designers.

Tell us some of your works and name the one you are most proud of.

In the very first project in 1994, a few months after my graduation, I reinvented the coffee ceremony in a contemporary way, designing the set from the cup to the biscuit and packaging. Even today I still find it very contemporary.

The Chika Vin Bar, transforming an old traditional house into a geisha vin bar, a place in between the past and the future, a morphing between tradition and contemporary needs.

Also, a sofa-heart that became very famous; so, I have started to use the heart shape in a contemporary “hidden” way.

The Sky Lounge and Guest Suite for The Tokyo Club Residence — designing the interior as well as the furniture for a unique outstanding style.

New Wind, a wind turbine designed as a tree. I am very proud to be part of this project and bringing a new solution for a better world.

Are you currently involved with any project?

Yes, many projects, more or less 60 projects ongoing all over the world.

Just to name few, I am designing a mega outdoor sculpture of 12 meters for Singapore Design Day in March. It is a giant rainbow that you can feel by walking through it.

I will exhibit some new pieces at Dubai Design Days in March.

I’m driving a workshop to redesign the cuckoo clock with an exhibition in Paris at Les Arts Deco Museum in May.

I will deliver a yacht 75 feet long. It’s my first interior naval project and will be at the Hainan boat show in April.

I will finish the Corian Design Center in Beijing with its opening in April or May. The concept is the “intelligent cave” — it is like the allegory of Plato’s cave in which what people take to be real would in fact be an illusion, and so what is real is not necessarily what you see but what you learn.

I also do product design for international brands such has Baccarat, Christofle, Ligne Roset, Dupont. But I am very proud of a specific project that will transform our world: a new wind turbine, but a very nice one! The design is totally revolutionary as it looks like a tree with leaves and each leaf will generate power. You can just plant it in your garden and connect it to your house or in the street to power your electric car and light the street.

Describe your design style.

My style is a mix of malice, humor, colors and sensuality. What distinguishes me are the various stories that led to the projects I launched. This is a secret of my style. I manage to combine the worlds of design, fashion, gastronomy, luxury brands and big industrial groups.

My physical posting between Japan (Tokyo) and Europe (Paris, Geneva) and more recently China (Shanghai and Beijing) allows me to have a broad base of inspiration as well as a global view over trends while acting locally.

If there is one thing less known about me it is that I design everything without prescribing anything.

I consistently follow a specific fabrication process insuring quality. I seeks originality, creativity and a signature in touch with my artisan capabilities.

Where are you most creative?

Challenging a new design project in a new dimension.

Where would you like to go most in Shanghai?

A place I have never been, I love to discover new places, old or new, but with an emotional design aspect. I want emotion in any stage of my life.

What will be the next big design trend?

Less is more. In China I hope for better quality design with less baroque style. Also, a design made by storytelling with simple words.


 

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