Ron ARAD

Ron Arad studied at Jerusalem Academy and at the Architectural Association in London. He worked with Cook at the Architectural Association on à design competition entry for a museum in Aachen. In 1974 Arad settled in London. He joined Povey and Groves in 1980. After working for a group of London architects, Ron Arad set up the design firm One Off in 1981, whose logo designed by Neville Brody. Arad’s best know early pièce was the 1985 Rover Chair, a salvaged automobile seat fitted to a custom-designed tubular-steel frame. These were necessarily individual pieces, since the 1960’s model from which the seats were sourced was in dwindling supply. Ron Arad produced lighting, including the Aerial light inspired by the post-apocalyptic Mad Max movies, but later moved from scavenging to new materials. In 1986, He designed two fashion shops (Bazaar, London, and equation, Bristol) and subsequently Michelle ma Belle, The Milano Mon Amour shop, Milan, or the Boutique Gauthier. The One Off workshop attracted collaborations, including with Caroline Thormann, John Mills, Simon Scott and American-born designer Lane. Ron Arad designed monumental and sculptural sheet-metal furniture for Sawaya & Moroni and Zeev Aram, and in 1990 for the Robin Wight House. In 1990 he designed the Opera House foyer in the city of Tel Aviv.