The Prix Émile Hermès 2011 : Heat, Me-heat, Re-heat

Since its establishment in 1837, Hermès has undoubtedly become one of the most revered names in the world of high fashion.The meticulous craftsmanship embodied in their products and the prestige associated with them make it an unmistakable symbol of luxury yet it’s the unprecedented engagement of the company towards ingenious endeavors that anchors it as a true emblem of creative leadership.

by Joyce Bidouzo-Coudray – Paris,

Already in his day -1921 to 1951-, Émile Hermès steered the house of Hermès on a course dedicated to innovation and bold ideas; devoting himself to revealing new talents and encouraging their creativity. Hence the initiation of a new design award bearing his inimitable stamp, from the Fondation d’Entreprise Hermès which vocation is to support projects stirred by individuals or organizations in the field of the arts, culture, social solidarity and humanitarian aid.

The Prix Émile Hermès was created in 2008 to foster talented young designers whose forward-looking and sustainable approach reflects our evolving society and lifestyles.

2011 sees the re-statement of the award as an international competition and confirms ‘design’ as a central focus of the Fondation d’Entreprise Hermès which chose a universal theme that echoes one of humanity’s most vital needs: heat

This year’s contestants were confronted with new criteria such as: “a keen awareness of the craft skills and industrial manufacturing expertise and “a sustainable, environmentally-friendly approach to the manufacturing and distribution of the finished product”.

The prize money received by the three finalists of the Prix Émile Hermès aims at enabling them to embark on significant new phases in their professional careers.

– First prize: Arnaud le Cat, Esther Bacot and Luther Quenum (France) for Shelved Cooking, a low-energy cook-top.

– Second prize: Daniel Abendroth and Andreas Meinhardt (Germany) for the HAgent, an automatic, mobile heating device designed to capture and store excess heat and redistribute it in cooler areas.

– Third prize: Jarl Fernaeus (Sweden) for the Ecojoe stove, a highly efficient wood-burning stove, designed to reduce the consumption of renewable solid fuel and limit deforestation and pollution in emerging countries.

The jury presided by Japanese Architect Toyo Ito, praised the high standard of all the submitted projects and awarded a Special Mention to Mohsen Saleh and Seyed Abdolnasser Taghavi (Iran/Italy) for their Light Farm, an architectural module using high-density photo-voltaic technology capable of generating 40 per cent of a household’s electricity needs.

Other jury members include Dutch designer, Jürgen Bey, American Design Historian Mel Byars, French Head of Design department, Centre Pompidou-Paris Françoise Guichon, Editorial director, Intramuros magazine Chantal Hamaide, Bernard Yannou, Engineer, professor at the École Centrale de Paris as well as Pascale Mussard, Vice-president of the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès and Artistic director, “petit h”, Hermès and last but not least Pierre-Alexis Dumas, President of the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès and Artistic director, Hermès – Paris.

The objects created under the aegis of Émile Hermès testify to his bold approach, and his confidence in the skills of young designers. The collection enshrines a self-contained world, reflecting an era when designers thought long and hard about the relationship between form and function, beauty and practicality.

The stellar prototypes unveiled at the award ceremony last october, are nothing less than visionary!