Johnson Tiles Lifetime Achievement Medal winner announced as Sir Kenneth Grange

We’re delighted to announce Sir Kenneth Grange as winner of the Johnson Tiles Lifetime Achievement Medal at this year’s London Design Festival. The Medal honours an individual who has made significant and fundamental contributions to the design industry throughout their career. And when it comes to his achievements, Kenneth has been a pillar of the A&D community for over four decades.

News

20th September 2016

After art school, Kenneth was an architectural assistant for seven years before starting his own practice as an interior and exhibition designer in 1956.

Subsequently, he made his reputation as a product designer, and in 1972 with three graphic and one architectural partners, he founded Pentagram, which is now an international design practice with offices in London, Germany and the USA.

Kenneth’s work has spanned half a century, and his designs are familiar in our homes, streets and stations. Some of his most recognised projects include the intercity 125 train; Adshel bus shelters; the first UK parking meter; the Chef – and many other products for Kenwood; razors for Wilkinson Sword; the Instamatic and other cameras for Kodak; loudspeakers for Bang & Olufsen; Parker pens and lamps for Anglepoise.

He has twice won the Duke of Edinburgh’s prize, as well as being awarded 10 Design Council awards, and is a Royal Society Designer for Industry. He has six honorary doctorates, including one at the Royal College of Art where he is a visiting professor.

He was the first designer to be given a one-man show at the V&A in 1983, similarly honoured in Tokyo. His show Making Britain Modern opened at the Design Museum in 2011. He has a CBE, and in 2013 Kenneth was knighted.

For 2016, the award recipients have been chosen by an illustrious selection board of industry gures, established designers and previous winners, including Dr Martin Roth (Director, V&A), Paul Thompson (Rector, Royal College of Art), Justine Simons (Head of Culture, Mayor of London), Tony Chambers (Editor-in-Chief, Wallpaper*) and Nadja Swarovski (Member of the Executive Board, Swarovski).

On their decision, the panel commented: “Kenneth Grange is the Godfather of UK product design, every household in the UK must have a product designed by him – his designs truly are icons that will feature in the history books.” And we couldn’t agree more.

Huge congratulations to Sir Kenneth Grange from all of the team at Johnson Tiles, it’s been an honour to support such an iconic accolade and we couldn’t have chosen a more deserving winner.

To coincide with the award, Kenneth’s work will be showcased as part of a winners’ exhibition, held in a purpose built pavilion in Exchange Square, Broadgate. This features a range of photography, furniture, installations and lighting to illustrate the breadth and achievement of each winner’s work. To mark the ten-year anniversary of the awards, there will also be an exhibition of retrospective winners at this location within the Shoreditch Design Triangle District.

The British Land Celebration of Design Exhibition takes place at Exchange Square Broadgate, EC2A 2BQ, from Tuesday 20 - Sunday 25 September, 10am-7pm.

The official Awards Ceremony will take place in the new Switch House extension to Tate Modern on Tuesday 20 September. For more information visit: http://www.londondesignfestival.com/british-land-celebration-design-2016.

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