Nigel Coates

Nigel Coates , the well-known British architect, designer and author of professional publications, was born in Malvern in 1949. After his studies, he worked in the experimental group NATO (Narrative Architecture Today), publishing a trade magazine of the same name. Together with Doug Branson, they went on to found Branson Coates Architecture, a successful London practice that lasted until 2006. The firm's best known projects include the Metropole restaurant and Café Bongo Park in Tokyo, and the Katharine Hamnett shops on Sloane Street and Jigsaw in Knightsbridge.

In 2006, Nigel Coates established his own design architecture practice, focusing on the redevelopment of existing buildings. For example, he developed the branding strategy and interior masterplan for the Hoxton Hotel in London, while other projects include the Wallop restaurant. During this period Nigel was also Head of the Department of Architecture at the Royal College of Art, where he is still Emeritus Professor. "Architecture and furniture are modelled on the human body and how we perceive the world. Sensuality plays a fundamental role in the design process," says Nigel Coates of his work. An example of this approach is the Baroccabilly collection of furniture and lamps made in collaboration with Poltronova, which combines the lightness of the Baroque with the unruly spirit of rockabilly music culture. For his outstanding contribution to architectural education, Coates received the 2012 Annie Spink Award. You can have your own Coates at home too, if you get a LOOP planter from Varaschin, for example!