In our section about great designs of the 20th century and its creators, we've talked about iconic characters who are no longer with us. But today we bring you a world-famous celebrity: Philippe Starck, probably the living designer The most famous of our recent era, spanning the 10.000th and XNUMXst centuries. With over XNUMX designed objects, few items have escaped his grasp, from sneakers and toothbrushes to yachts and perfumes.

To Philippe Starck Creation, whatever its form, must improve the lives of the greatest possible number of people. This is the principle that governs his entire creative philosophy. He firmly believes that this poetic and political, rebellious and benevolent, pragmatic and subversive duty must be shared by all.

He considers himself a citizen of the world and his goal is to share his ethical and humanistic vision for a more egalitarian planet, which translates into unconventional projects. His philosophy is clear and direct: an object must be useful before being beautiful.

Philipe Starck has had no qualms about presenting himself as an “advertising man” with his designs, displaying his elegant, self-parodying sense of humor.

In the words of one of his biographers, Jonathan Wingfield: “His awareness of ecological implications, his deep understanding of contemporary mutations, his enthusiasm for imagining new lifestyles, his determination to change the world, his commitment to sustainable growth, his love of ideas, his concern for defending intelligence from utility - and utility from intelligence - have led him from iconic creations to iconic creation... "

And he continues: “From everyday products such as furniture and juicers from lemons to revolutionaries megayachts, hotels intensely vibrant, stimulating and phantasmagorical, passing through the miraculous technologies of individual wind turbines and the electric car, continues to expand the boundaries and criteria of contemporary design. As a true visionary, he puts innovation at the service of “ecological and democratic design.”

Notes on one of his first projects, the Starck Club Dallas, 1982

Born in Paris in 1949, it is said that he spent his childhood under the design table of his father, a prominent Aeronautic engineer which undoubtedly influenced his decision to study industrial design at the Nissim School from Camondo of Paris. 

At the age of 20, he designed an inflatable structure based on the idea of materiality, which reveals his early interest in habitable spaces. This design earned him his first success at the Salon de l'Enfance. Shortly after, Pierre Cardin, Seduced by his iconoclastic design, he offered him the position of artistic director of his publishing house.

En 1976 After creating several iconic objects, including a floating lamp and a portable neon sign, he designed the decor for the nightclub The Blue Main -in Montreuil-, proving that no venue is less respectable than another simply because of its eccentricity. He then completed the legendary Parisian nightclub Les Bains Douches and the Starck Club of Dallas.

By then he had already founded his first industrial design company, Starck Product, which he later renamed Ubik in honor of the famous novel by Philip K. Dick. Here he began his collaborations with Italy's leading designer brands –Driade, Alessi, Kartell– and the world –Drimmer in Austria, Vitra in Switzerland or Disform in Spain – to mention just a few.

El Costos Coffee, Restored in 1984, it was one of his most famous early works. For this project, he designed the Costos chair in collaboration with Driade, a shell-shaped seat with three legs, which was an immediate success.

En 1983 Philippe Starck was discovered by the general public when, advised by the Minister of Culture Jack Lang, President François Mitterrand chose his project to decorate the private residence of the Élysée Palace. This commission symbolized a true institutional recognition of design in the 80s.

The following year, his international fame was confirmed thanks to the success of Café Costes, a new space that was both functional and elegant, embodying the essence of Starck's architecture while converging with the birth and flourishing of a community. His reinvention of the codes of Parisian café made it the reference site of the capital.

The Nani Nani Building in Tokyo (1986), which translates to "What?-What?" in English, was built for the Rikugo Group. It is a curved, five-story sheet metal monolith (similar to Japanese cars of the era).

In the 80s, Philippe Starck designed several buildings in Japan, with unprecedented forms. The first was in Tokyo, completed in 1989, and is striking in its originality. Nani Nani It was an impressive anthropomorphic building clad in living material that evolves over time. Like all of his work, Starck's architecture is virulent and explicitly ethical and humanistic. A year later he confirmed his position as leader of the avant-garde architecture with the Asahi Beer Hall in Tokyo and then a set of offices in Osaka, known as Baron Vert, in 1992.

Brimming with unrelenting humor and enthusiasm, he made buildings that, even when engaged in work, came back to life in all their continual exuberance. In France, he was commissioned to design the control tower Bordeaux airport (1997) and the expansion of the National School of Decorative Arts of Paris (1998). Jean Paul Gaultier relied on the designer's imagination to transform his boutiques in Paris, London and New York.

One of his latest projects for the Hilton chain: Maison Heler Metz (2024), in France. It is a 9-story block Crowned by a house reminiscent of the 104th-century mansions of Metz, it tells the imaginary story of Manfred Heler. An extraordinary, surrealist work composed of XNUMX rooms and suites, two restaurants, two bars, and event spaces.

Undoubtedly, Philippe Starck has revolutionized design hotel and restaurant industry, leaving his unmistakable mark on a multitude of social spaces. We could list dozens of hotels and restaurants all over the world, from London to New York, Buenos Aires, Ecuador, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Miami, or Hong Kong. But let's focus on the most notable projects he has carried out in Spain.

The Teatriz was one of his best-known projects, being Starck's first work in Spain. It was remodeled in 1990 over the old theatre and soon became the most fashionable designer venue cool from Madrid. Javier Mariscal and Arnold Chan also collaborated on it. In 2014, it succumbed to the crisis, and in 2018 it opened as a clothing store under the brand Other Stories. Although it was completely refurbished, traces of Stark's design can still be found in its dome and in the details of marble and mirrors from the old Teatriz.

En 2022Philippe Starck undertakes a complete renovation of the famous nightclub Joy Eslava from Madrid, which became the Eslava Theatre. The renovation has preserved the original architectural structure, such as moldings, railings, wooden medallions and the ceiling vault, but stripping the space of ornaments added over time. One of the most important modifications has been the construction of a bandshell inside the theater to provide better sound insulation in the room. It currently has a very diverse program that includes flamenco, pop music, and other activities and private events. The curtain is by his daughter, the artist Ara Starck.

Built in 1909, the Alhondiga (1909) was an old wine warehouse designed by Ricardo Bastida, which was transformed into Cultural center in 2010, and was renamed Azkuna centroa, in honor of the mayor who promoted the idea. Today, the Alhóndiga is a symbol of Bilbao's urban and cultural transformation, consolidating itself as a open space to art, knowledge, sport and citizen participation.

With 43.000 square meters of surface area, the building houses a media library, exposition halls, cinemaa whirlpool bath, suspended pool with glass bottom, gym, shops, bars and restaurants. One of its most emblematic elements is the lobby, supported by 43 columns individually designed, blending architectural styles from different eras and cultures.

In his quest to democratize design, Philippe Stark has ventured into virtually all areas of personal hygiene: from oral products (he has designed a Fluocaril toothpaste) or toilet brushes, up to complete bathrooms. Their collaboration with Axor has been maintained for three decades, resulting in such innovative products as the Axor Stark V faucet, in transparent organic glass that reveals the magical vortex of water. Duravit He has also designed complete series of faucets, bathtubs, toilets, sinks and furniture.

Another of his great collaborations has been with Alessi, an Italian company for which he has designed hilarious culinary objects. The most famous is undoubtedly the juicer Juicy Saify, from 1990, with the silhouette of a rocket or a spider, depending on how you look at it. It is said that the first sketch was made by Starck on a paper napkin in a restaurant, during his vacation in Italy, and his inspiration was the squid with lemon that I was eating.

Philippe Stark often has long-term and intense collaborations with furniture brands. One of the most important and prolific has been with Cartel, with which Starck began to collaborate on 1988The brand decided to introduce signature design into plastic and methacrylate furniture, something revolutionary at the time. The shared vision of industrialize quality design made this alliance a lasting formula for success.

La Louis Ghost chair It was designed in 2002, from polycarbonate poured into a single mold. It was called Ghost (“ghost”) for its transparency, and Louis for being inspired by Louis XVI style chairs, with their typical oval backrest. Although it was originally presented in a transparent finish, they were soon manufactured in more lightly tinted colors. This design has evolved into several versions, such as the Lou Lou Ghost, which is a smaller version for children, and the chairs Victoria Ghost, similar to Louis' style, but without armrests. 

Two other iconic designs for Kartell are the Eros Chair (left), oval-shaped in polycarbonate, with a swivel base or metal legs. And the Master Chair (right), a tribute to the silhouettes of three legendary chairs: the Series 7 by Arne Jacobsen, the Tulip by Eero Saarinen and the Eiffel Chair by Charles Eames. With Kartell he has designed dozens of lamps, armchairs, sofas, stools, tables... but above all, chairs.

With the crystal signature Bacarrat The collaboration began in 2003, when Starck redesigned the interior of the Maison Baccarat in Paris. Since then, their relationship has been deep and lasting. His first collection in 2005 was Darkside, light fixtures and ornaments in black glass, such as the famous chandelier Our Fire and the impressive hanging chandelier Zenith (also known as the “Darkside Chandelier”), all in onyx crystal. Glasses, vases, photo frames, floor or hanging lamps, jewelry… each proposal celebrates Baccarat’s craftsmanship, combined with humor, poetry and modern vision that characterizes Starck.

It is difficult to close this relationship here. Philippe Starck's design icons without the feeling of leaving too many (too many) out. Because the Starck universe is practically immeasurable. Although he has focused his work on the architecture and furniture design, has had the time (and curiosity) to take on all kinds of commissions: drinks, gourmet products, wine cellars, clothing, glasses, sneakers, coffee makers, perfumes, cars, boats, modular homes... and even an astronaut training complex. But all of this, done from the conviction that creation, in any of its forms, should make life easier for the majority of people. For Starck, it is a moral imposition to share his ethical and humanistic vision to make a more equal planet, putting their innovative creations at the service of the democratic design and sustainability.

Photos and documentation: Philippe Starck official website