Design News

Eugeni Quitllet named Maison&Objet’s 2016 designer of the year

Anna Winston

Eugeni Quitllet portrait

Spanish designer Eugeni Quitllet has been awarded the Designer of the Year title for next year’s Maison&Objet design fair in Paris, and will design a bespoke exhibition for the event.

Wall street chair by Eugeni Quitllet
As part of the bespoke exhibition Quitllet will be showcasing this chair from his Bum Bum collection

Quitllet, originally from Ibiza, will exhibit his latest designs at Maison&Objet in January in an exhibition titled Machine Man, from one-off piece to infinity.

Toro stool by Eugeni Quitllet
This Toro stool is also part of the Vondom Bum Bum collection that will be exhibited at Maison&Objet

The show will include a one-off collaboration with aluminium specialists Neal Feay Studio, as well as a preview of Quitllet’s new products for homeware store Habitat and design brand Lexon.

A candle holder designed by Quitllet for subscription company Designerbox, which delvers surprise design objects by post, will also be shown alongside existing products for plastic brand Kartell, his Bum Bum outdoor furniture for Vondom, and the Tabu chair he designed for Alias.

Bum Bum sofa by Eugeni Quitllet
The Bum Bum outdoor furniture collection, which includes this sofa, uses tubular shapes

Quitllet is the latest designer to be honoured by Maison&Objet, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in January.

Candle holder by Eugeni Quitllet
This candle holder – called Eva – was designed by Quitllet for French brand Designerbox

Last year’s designer of the year, prolific Japanese studio Nendo, created a chocolate-themed lounge for the Paris trade fair complete with a limited-edition range of chocolates.

Eugeni Quitllet adapts Masters chair into a bar stool
For his Masters Stool, Eugeni Quitllet amalgamated the silhouettes of famous Modernist chairs

Previous recipients of the accolade have included British designers Tom Dixon and Barber and Osgerby, and Brazilian duo the Campana Brothers.

This year, the show is also highlighting the work of five up-and-coming studios in its Talents à la Carte exhibition space.

Bourgie table lamp reinterpretation
Quitllet was part of a team of designers who reinterpreted the Bourgie table lamp produced by Italian plastic brand Kartell to mark the design’s 10th anniversary

These include Swedish-French duo Färg and Blanche, Danish designers Jonas Edvard  and Troels Flensted, Katriina Nuutinen from Finland, and Oslo-based Studio Kneip.

Maison&Object is also revamping its January design exhibition, creating three zones: one for home furnishings; one for gadgets, accessories and decorative objects; and one for “luxury” design and interiors.

Wooden chairs for Alias by Eugeni Quitllet
Eugeni Quitllet used plexiglass to create the backrests for wooden chairs in this collection for Italian brand Alias

The fair said the new layout was reflective of changes in consumer trends to a more lifestyle-focused relationship with design.

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