Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Announces Winners of the Seventh Annual National Design Awards
This fall Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum will celebrate significant achievements in the design world with its annual National Design Awards, now in its seventh year. Established in 2000 to broaden awareness of the role of design in daily life, the Awards honor individuals in all areas of design, as well its patrons and supporters. The recipients of the 2006 National Design Awards were announced today by Cooper-Hewitt director Paul Warwick Thompson, and the finalists and winners will be honored at a Gala dinner at Cooper-Hewitt on Oct. 18. Mrs. Laura Bush is the Honorary Patron for this year's National Design Awards.
"Cooper-Hewitt is delighted to once again recognize, through the National Design Awards, some of the greatest contributions to the world of design made in recent years," Thompson said. "Each year, the Awards grow in scope, and this October we are introducing National Design Week, a new education initiative created to promote better understanding of the role that design plays in all aspects of our lives. During National Design Week, Cooper-Hewitt will host programs and panel discussions on design, and on our website, we will launch design education content for teachers nationwide."
First launched at the White House as a project of the White House Millennium Council, the National Design Awards are accompanied each year by a variety of public education programs, including lectures, roundtable discussions, and workshops. This year, with the first ever National Design Week, Cooper-Hewitt aims to reach school teachers and their students nationally, both in the classroom and online, through lesson plans that demonstrate how design thinking and the design process can enhance the teaching of all subjects. In recognition of the importance of design education, organizations and schools nationwide will also sponsor events during National Design Week.
In April 2006 Cooper-Hewitt celebrated the opening of the Target National Design Education Center, a lecture room, design studio, and resource library geared toward students of all ages. Many of the National Design Week events will take place in the Target National Design Education Center. The National Design Awards and National Design Week are made possible by Target.
The 2006 National Design Award recipients are:
Lifetime Achievement Award : Paolo Soleri
Paolo Soleri. Sky Suite, Arcosanti. 1978.
Photo: Iolanda Lima (from Soleri: Architecture as Human Ecology)
The Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing the work of an individual who has made a long-term contribution to the practice of design, is awarded to architect Paolo Soleri. Born in Italy in 1919, Soleri has dedicated his lifelong work to experimentation in urban planning. Settling in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1956, Soleri established the Cosanti Foundation and began designing Arcosanti, a prototype town for 5,000 residents based on his concept of "Arcology"-architecture in accordance with ecology. Soleri's work has been included in worldwide exhibitions, and he has received fellowships from the Graham and Guggenheim Foundations as well as three honorary doctorates and numerous international medals.
Corporate Achievement Award : Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. Air Max ad. Niketown retail exterior.
Photo: Nike, Inc.
The Corporate Achievement Award recognizes a corporation that uses design as a strategic tool of its mission and helps to advance the relationship between design and quality of life. The 2006 Corporate Achievement Award is presented to international sportswear and equipment company Nike, Inc. For 30 years Nike has created products designed to help athletes of all disciplines and skill levels perform at their optimum. In addition to regularly exploring and employing the latest in technological advancements Nike has consistently incorporated design as an essential element in all of their work, from the design of their footwear and clothing lines, to the creation of their physical customer experience, to their online presence.
Design Mind Award : Paola Antonelli 
Paola Antonelli. Workspheres. Museum of Modern Art.
New York, NY. 2001. Photo: Michael Moran.
The Design Mind Award recognizes a visionary who has affected a shift in design thinking or practice through writing, research and scholarship. The 2006 recipient is Paola Antonelli, Curator in the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art. Antonelli's exhibitions at MoMA have thoroughly explored the role of design in everyday life, highlighting how mindful design enriches, facilitates, and supports our lives. Antonelli's recent exhibitions for MoMA include, SAFE: Design Takes On Risk, an exploration of products designed to protect and to provide a sense security; and Humble Masterpieces, an exhibition of everyday objects, from paper clips to Band-Aids, that are used with frequency but not often thought of as works of design.
Special Jury Commendation : Syd Mead 
Syd Mead. Tencara Yacht: Night Shot.
1993. Illustration by Syd Mead.
The 2006 National Design Awards jury granted a Special Jury Commendation to illustrator and conceptual designer Syd Mead, known for his work on Hollywood film projects such as "Bladerunner," "Aliens," and "Mission Impossible-3." Mead's diverse career, spanning some 30 years, has included working with clients in the entertainment, hotel, aviation, and automobile industries. Always advocating new technologies, his work has consistently looked toward the future, imagining new possibilities in transportation systems in particular. Mead has exhibited his work internationally and is the author of several publications, including Sentury (2001), Oblagon (1996) and Kronolog Collection (1991).
Architecture Design Award : Thom Mayne
Thom Mayne/Morphosis. Hypo Alpe-Adria-Center.
Klagenfurt, Austria. 2002. Photo: Kim Zwarts.
The architecture design award, recognizing work in commercial, public or residential architecture, is awarded to Thom Mayne, principal of Morphosis, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based architecture and design firm. Mayne has won numerous awards for his work in design including the Pritzker Prize for Architecture and a Rome Prize Fellowship. Morphosis' intuitive and collaborative approach to projects for diverse clients including the state of California, the NYC 2012 Olympic Village, the University of Toronto and MTV has garnered international recognition. A founder of the Southern California Institute of Architecture, Mayne has taught extensively and currently holds a tenured faculty position at UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture.
The architecture design category also honored finalists Stanley Saitowitz of Natoma Architects, San Francisco, recognized as an educator and for his West Coast projects, and Bernard Tschumi, known for exploring the interface between architecture and 21st century living.
Communications Design Award : 2x4
2x4. Vitra Collage. New York, NY.
2001. Courtesy of 2x4.
This year's communications design award honors the New York firm 2x4. Founded in 1993 by Michael Rock, Susan Sellers and Georgianna Stout, 2x4 works in print, film/video, Web and environment design for clients ranging from Vitra, Knoll Textiles, Prada and Target to the Guggenheim Las Vegas, the Studio Museum in Harlem, N.Y., and the Winspear Opera House in Dallas. The New York-based design firm develops unexpected content for art, design, architecture and cultural clients, following a rigorous analysis of message, program, context and audience. 2x4 was a communications design finalist for the 2005 National Design Awards.
Finalists in the communications design category are Jake Barton, know for creating interactive media installations for museums and public spaces, and writer and graphic designer Chip Kidd whose innovative work in book jacket design has helped spark a revolution in book packaging.
Fashion Design Award : Maria Cornejo
Zero Maria Cornejo. Ivory paper silk
double-layered bubble hem dress.
Autumn/Winter 2006. Photo: Monica Feudi.
The fashion design award is awarded to women's wear designer Maria Cornejo. Chilean-born Cornejo's career has spanned London, Paris, Milan and Tokyo. She moved to New York City in 1996 and began her clothing line Zero, noted for its sculptural garments that are at once feminine, architectural, minimal and modern. Cornejo's personal approach to her designs has won her a loyal following. Ignoring seasonal trends, she instead approaches her collections by continually refining her technique, developing dynamic and intelligent clothing that is both innovative and timeless. Cornejo was a fashion design finalist for the 2005 National Design Awards.
Finalists in the fashion design category are menswear designer Thom Browne, whose aesthetic is inspired by late 1950s and early 1960s icons of American style, and Peter Som, recognized for bringing a freshly modern point of view to his collection of women's sportswear.
Interior Design Award : Michael Gabellini
Michael Gabellini. Park Avenue residence.
New York, NY. 1998. Photo: Paul Warchol.
The 2006 National Design Award for interior design is awarded to Michael Gabellini, a principal at Gabellini Sheppard Associates, LLP in New York, a multidisciplinary design firm specializing in architecture and interior design projects. With a goal of creating pure, graphic environments that do not detract attention from their purpose, the firm has created interiors for fashion, museum and contemporary art galleries, and has worked on designing and restoring public spaces. Among the firm's many projects are exhibitions for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the redevelopment of Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Plaza. Gabellini was an interior design finalist in 2005.
Finalists in the interior design category are Annabelle Selldorf, recognized for cultural and art-related projects including the Neue Gallery New York, and Tsao and McKown Architects, whose projects include a series of public school libraries in New York City.
Landscape Design Award : Martha Schwartz
Martha Schwartz, Inc. Grand Canal Square.
Dublin, Ireland. Currently under construction.
Rendering: Hayes Davidson.
The recipient of the landscape design award for 2006 is Martha Schwartz, president of Martha Schwartz Partners in Cambridge, Mass., and London. Schwartz's internationally renowned work in landscape architecture spans 25 years. Her diverse commissions have included public and civic buildings, plazas, parks, urban redevelopment, reclamation projects, mixed-use developments, art commissions and private residences, all with a dual commitment to aesthetics and an environmentally sound practice. Recent projects include Grand Canal Square in Dublin, Ireland; the Mesa Arts Center, Mesa AZ; HUD Plaza, Washington, DC; Exchange Square, Manchester, UK; and the Swiss Re Headquarters in Munich, Germany.
The finalists in the landscape design category are Andrea Cochran, whose work emphasizes the integration of personal meaning into each project, and Ken Smith, known for park and public spaces designed to improve the quality of urban life.
Product Design Award : Bill Stumpf
Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick. Aeron chair.
Herman Miller. 1994. Photo: Nick Merrick.
The product design award recipient for 2006 is Bill Stumpf, a principal at Minneapolis-based Stumpf Weber Associates, a design laboratory motivated by inquiry and research, committed to creating leading products and establishing collaborative relationships with visionary manufacturers. Stumpf approaches design as a process of improvisation and discovery and is known for his ergonomic designs. His frequent collaborations with Herman Miller have resulted in the Aeron Chair, the best selling office chair of all time, among other designs. Stumpf was a 2005 National Design Award finalist for product design.
Finalists in the product design category are Jonathan Ive, senior vice president of industrial design at Apple, and Antenna Design, a firm founded by Masamichi Udagawa and Sigi Moeslinger, known for designing New York City's subway ticket vending machines and JetBlue Airline's check-in kiosks.
Design Patron Award : Craig Robins
Craig Robins. Aqua Allison Island.
Miami, FL. 2005. Photo: Steven Brooke.
The Design Patron Award, chosen each year by the museum's director, recognizes an individual's patronage of design within the business and civic sectors. The 2006 Award recognizes Miami-based real estate developer Craig Robins. As part of his mission to integrate art and design into the local community, Robins has worked with architects and designers including Alexander Gorlin, Craig Konyk, Enrique Norten and Alison Spear on his development projects. He was instrumental in bringing the Art Basel Fair to Miami in 2002, and his work developing the Miami Design District has brought new shops and showrooms to the city. One of Robin's most recent projects is Aqua, a mixed-use development located on Allison Island in Miami Beach that incorporates architecture, design, and art.
The 2006 National Design Awards nominations were solicited from a committee of more than 800 leading designers, educators, journalists, cultural figures and corporate leaders from every state in the nation. The 2006 jury, selected by Cooper-Hewitt included:
Cindy Allen, editor-in-chief of Interior Design magazine
Yves Behar, founder of San Francisco-based design firm fuseproject
Michael Bierut, a partner at New York graphic design firm Pentagram
Roger Mandle, president of Rhode Island School of Design, in Providence, R.I.
Enrique Norten, founder of the New York- and Mexico-based architecture firm TEN Arquitectos
Janet Rosenberg, founder of Canadian landscape architecture firm Janet Rosenberg + Associates
Stefano Tonchi, style editor for The New York Times Magazine
The chairman of the Oct. 18 gala is Richard Meier, and the vice chairmen are Elizabeth and Lee Ainslie, Madeleine Rudin Johnson and Bruce Johnson, Michael Maharam and Sabine Steinmair, Deedie Rose, and James Rosenthal and Kate Ballen. Mrs. Laura Bush will serve as the honorary patron of the 2006 National Design Awards. Cooper-Hewitt director Paul Warwick Thompson will preside over the evening's events.
About Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum is the only museum in the nation devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design. The museum presents compelling perspectives on the impact of design on daily life through active educational programs, exhibitions and publications. Founded in 1897 by Amy, Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt-granddaughters of industrialist Peter Cooper-as part of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, the museum has been a branch of the Smithsonian since 1967.
Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum : https://www.dexigner.com/directory/detail/7248
Winners of the Seventh Annual National Design Awards : http://www.cooperhewitt.org/NDA/2006/
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