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Luigi ColaniIndustrial designer
Date of Birth: 02.08.1928
Country:  Germany |
Content:
Biography of Luigi Colani
Luigi Colani, an industrial designer, is known as a conceptual designer and is often referred to as a genius of industrial design, a living legend in the design field, and a pioneer of biodesign. Throughout his long career, he has worked on the design of automobiles for companies such as Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Volkswagen, and BMW. Colani is also famous for his unconventional concept cars. Among his notable achievements are the Canon HY-PRO camera, Colani eyewear, the Alekto-TT62 aircraft, and even a police uniform design.
Early Life and Education
Luigi Colani, born as Lutz Colani, came into the world in 1928 in Berlin, Germany. He had Kurdish and Polish roots in his family. From a young age, he had a passion for drawing and later became a student at the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied painting and sculpture. Later, he developed an interest in aerodynamics and pursued further studies in the subject at the Sorbonne in Paris, France.
Recognition and Career
In the 1950s, Colani moved to California, where his design work started gaining recognition. He was awarded the "Golden Rose" prize at the Geneva Motor Show for his Fiat car design. Throughout the 1960s, he continued to passionately work on automotive design, and companies such as Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Volkswagen, and BMW sought his services. In addition to his work on automobiles, Colani also dabbled in smaller projects, creating souvenirs and keychains for various corporations.
In 1972, the racing world took notice of Colani when he designed the Formula One car for Eifelland. In 1973, he opened his own design center in Japan and, in 1976, introduced his groundbreaking creation, the Fanliner aircraft, made entirely of plastic. Colani's main passion has always been aerodynamics. He built his own model car, the Colani 2CV, based on the French Citroën 2CV, which set a world record for fuel efficiency. He also dedicated over three decades to the development of aerodynamic trucks, including the Colani-LKW, based on Mercedes.
Overall, Luigi Colani designed at least 35 conceptual cars, now known as concept cars, including models for Porsche, Mazda, Ferrari, Ford, and others. He often expressed his dissatisfaction with the contemporary automotive industry, believing that there were better, more ecological, and more economical ways to produce trucks. Unfortunately, the "dull industry" remained deaf to his singular voice.
Colani's range of activities is truly astounding. His piano designs based on Schimmel have been acquired by Lenny Kravitz, Prince, and Eddie Murphy. His Canon camera design defined the brand's image. He worked extensively on architectural projects in Japan and Thailand. Among his smaller creations are beverage bottles, headphones for music players, and even furniture. It is also known that Colani worked on the design of uniforms for Hamburg police officers. He is considered the founder of biodesign, a subfield of industrial design. Circular forms are the main characteristic of Colani's designs. As he once said, "The Earth is round, all celestial bodies are round; they all move in circles or elliptical orbits... So why should I contribute to the ranks of those who try to make the world angular? I intend to continue the philosophy of Galileo Galilei: my world is also round."
Currently, the great designer resides in Germany, and his son, Solon Luigi Lutz, has followed in his footsteps and become a designer as well.
