Urs Felber
| Urs Felber | |
|---|---|
| Born |
10 July 1942 Egerkingen, Switzerland |
| Died | 26 April 2010 (aged 67) |
| Nationality |
 Switzerland |
| Occupation | Businessman and design pioneer |
Life and career
Felber was born in 1942 in Egerkingen, Switzerland, a small town in the canton of Solothurn.[1] His family ran a local carpentry workshop.
From 1962 to 1965, he studied mechanical engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. In 1964, he replaced a fellow student in his field study at a small furniture manufacturer company, De Sede. In 1966, he became a system engineer at De Sede. He took a 50 percent stake in the company.[2] By 1978, De Sede was exporting to over 70 countries and reached a turnover of 85 million CHF.
In 1979, he obtained a PhD in Design Management at Stanford University, California and the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, graduating magna cum laude. He authored Systematic Design Management in the Enterprise: Fundamentals and Concepts which heralded the birth of design management, design science and methodology.[3]
In the 1980s, he became a business partner and CEO of Vitra USA, the world's leading contract furniture manufacturing firm.[4] Parallel to his US activities, he became a board director in several companies, such as Wilkhahn International, Wilkhahn Switzerland, Swissflex and Team by Wellis.
In 2001, Urs Felber bought Swiss furniture company Dietiker AG[5] from the supermarket chain Migros and transformed it into a recognized brand by bringing contemporary designs, with products winning the Red Dot Design Award and Neocon Innovation Award. Dietiker became a leader in Switzerland and Europe in the contract furniture market.
Awards and honors
In 1999, urs felber was made a Honorary Fellow of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. In 2002, he received a Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Tel Aviv [6] On 20 May 2003, the Aviva and Urs Felber Jubilee Plaza was inaugurated at Tel Aviv University in recognition of his commitment and donations to the university.[7]
Death
Urs Felber died on 26 April 2010
Quotes
Success is never accidental
I'm Swiss but not practicing[8]
References
- ↑ http://www.contractdesign.com/contract/Design-Industry-Mour-1724.shtml
- ↑ "Nachrichten und Informationen aus der Möbelbranche". moebelkultur.de. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
- ↑ Urs Felber, "Systematisches Designmanagement in der Unternehmung: Grundlagen und Konzepte", Marburg, 1984
- ↑ http://www.contractdesign.com/contract/ls/article-archive.html?articletitle=COLUMNS-NONE_Focus_%20Ones%20to%20Watch_565.xml
- ↑ Vlessing, Robert; Lasker, David (2007-11-04). "Dietiker Switzerland". metropolismag.com. Archived from the original on 2012-04-02.
- ↑ "Tel Aviv University Webflash - May 2003". .tau.ac.il. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
- ↑ http://www.tau.ac.il/public-affairs/TAU_Insider_Fall06.pdf
- ↑ Lifestyles Magazine, issue #216, Summer 2008, p.147, 'Urs Felber: Fortuitous — By Deena Sherman'
External links
- Urs Felber's lecture on Good Design at Iidex Neocon, Canada, 2007
- Urs Felber, 'Ones to Watch', Contract Design magazine
- Metropolismag at the Wayback Machine (archived 12 May 2013)
- Metropolismag at the Wayback Machine (archived 2 April 2012)
- Urs Felber, Contract Design magazine
- Urs Felber, Office Work magazine
- Urs Felber, Swiss design magazine Hochpaterre
- Urs Felber and Dietiker, Swiss design magazine Hochpaterre
- Urs Felber, Fachwerk magazine
- Aviva and Urs Felber Piazza at Tel Aviv University
- Urs Felber, Moebelkultur magazine
- Urs Felber and Dietiker, Interieur Suisse Magazine
- Urs Felber, Acade magazine
- Urs Felber interview at Neocon on Vimeo
- Urs Felber, Neoconeast
- Urs Felber, Lifestyle magazine
- Dietiker and Urs Felber, Interior Design magazine
- Hommage a Urs Felber, La Revue du Design
- Insideout Contracts – Contract Furniture specialists