Comments of the jury

In Rolf Fehlbaum the jury pays tribute to the most highly profiled personality of the Swiss design industry. The Vitra company which he has directed for decades gives impressive proof that top design skills, and a conception of one’s own role that has deep roots in cultural awareness, together constitute a solid basis for business success. In his readiness to join his designers in leaving established paths, and repeatedly looking for new solutions in the field of office and domestic furniture, he has not shied away from any kind of entrepreneurial risk, and this is what has given the company its outstanding strength of innovation. Mr. Fehlbaum’s comprehensive understanding of design not only expresses itself in the company’s products, but extends even to its visual and architectural appearance.