my design icon
Luigi Kolani
why he inspires me
• As designer i feel it is necessary for every
designer to have a unique sense of design
that is not just their interpretation of
conventional design. design should evolve.
• Luigi Colani‘s design philosophy is of the
same notion wth his designs ditching
conventional in favour of what he calles
biodynamic design.
• He also has a lot of successful designs for
instance his catamaran design was a
racing success in Hawaii.
• His bravery to decide to go against the
norm which has led to innovations that
other designers still implement today such
as he introduced the world's first plastic
monocoque sports car, the BMW 700
• He maintained his design language in all
his designs which exuded his philosophy
• His designs aesthics as a much
controversial were an aerodynamic feat
which meant that as vehicles they are very
efficient.
The earth is round, all the heavenly bodies are round; they all move
on round or elliptical orbits. This same image of circular globeshaped mini worlds orbiting around each other follows us right down
to the micro-cosmos. We are even aroused by round forms in
species propagation related eroticism. Why should I join the straying
mass who want to make everything angular? I am going to pursue
Galileo Galilei's philosophy: my world is also round.
— Luigi Colani, [4]
About Colani
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Luigi Colani (born Lutz Colani 2 August 1928 – 16
September 2019)
German industrial designer.
characteristic of his designs are the rounded, organic
forms, which he terms "biodynamic" and claims are
ergonomically superior to traditional designs.
Many of his designs for small appliances are being
mass-produced and marketed, but his larger designs
have not been built
He received numerous design awards, although his
unconventional approach left him largely an outsider
from the mainstream of industrial design
referred to as the “Leonardo da Vinci of the Plastics.”
Making the most of the material's ability to be easily
molded, Colani’s many sculpted plastic chair designs
include the Garden Party Chair (1967); the Loop Chair
for COR (1968); the iconic, multifunctional children’s
Zocker Chair (1971-72) for Top System Burkhard Lübke;
the Rugby Chair (1980); the Alien Chair (1986); and the
Flat Chair (1995). Colani’s famous Globe Pendants,
affectionately called UFO Lights, feature colorful ABS
plastic with transparent acrylic insets.
Colani is behind thousands of experimental and forwardfacing designs, prototypes, case studies, and models
Kitchen Sattelite
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The “Kitchen Satellite” by Luigi
Colani, 1969.
An exercise in extreme
ergonomics, Colani’s kitchen was
designed to have everything at
arm’s length.
The kitchen pod would connect to
the main house.
Space truck
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streamlined aerodynamic
truck
bubble cockpit to aid
visibility and reduce drag
automotive
designs
Pegasus piano
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made as one organic form of
continuous fiberglass piece
without seams except for the
clear plexiglass stand that
supports the tail
pianist’s bench is part of the
one-piece design.
The keyboard is uniquely
ergonomic, it has a slight
curvature rather than being
in a straight line.
The likes of Lenny Kravits, Prince, and Eddie Murphy are among those who
own a Pegasus Piano.
AGOS Luxury Computer Series, Opus
Magnum, Design by Colani
furniture
• displayed Luigi Colani's design philosophy
• featured a gigantic rounded nosecone
incorporating brake ducts, a lowline single plane
wedge-shaped rear wing and a striking cowling
around the cockpit. The cowling was Colani's
alternative to the large periscope airboxes which
caused too much drag
• a single mirror on a sculpted, streamlined support
directly in the driver's line of sight. Placed high up,
it allowed the driver to see over the huge rear wing
right behind him.
Rotor house
• Continues the organic forms characteristic of his designs
in this case to obtain a mulifunctionalmspace with several
functions from one space.
• The central idea behind his house is a turning rotor which
incorporates the functional areas ‘sleeping, ’cooking’ and
‘taking a bath’
• The cylinder rotates left or right bringing the room you
want into view of the main living room.
• There’s a separate toilet and a small hallway, and
everything is controlled with a remote.
Colani 2cv
• In 1981, he set a fuel
economy world
record set with the
four-seater Colani
2CV (based on the
French Citroën 2CV
which consumed just
1.7 litres of gasoline
to travel 100 km
using a stock 2CV
engine and chassis.
• As an aerodynamics
graduate this was
proof that his
aerodynamic designs
do work better than
conventional design.
references
https://www.designrulz.com/architecture/2011/03/hanse-colani-rotor-house/
http://magazine.pianoperformers.org/tag/schimmel-pegasus-piano/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Colani
http://www.artnet.com/artists/luigi-colani/