‘A piece of art’ – Formula E taps Central Saint Martins grads for trophy designs
Electric street racing series Formula E has unveiled two redesigned trophies created by product design graduates of Central Saint Martins.
Jean-Eric Vergne holds Nyqvist’s design in New York
Designers from the school were briefed to create something that was “uniquely Formula E”, according to Steven Aspinall, head of design at the brand. Alberto Longo, co-founder of the sport, said the decision to commission young grads stemmed from the brand’s belief in young people.
Ellen Nyqvist’s design was selected as the trophy presented to the winning driver of the the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. Her concept draws inspiration from the most popular circuits on the sport’s international calendar and is inscribed with inspirational copy written by Nyqvist.
Aspinall dubbed the design “a piece of art" and "a conversation piece”.
Formula E also elected to produce Sarunas Plyskaitis’ design, which is a 3D representation of the brand’s logo. The trophy will be handed to the winning team of each season and winners, as well as the winners of individual categories at the annual end of season awards gala.
“The creativity of the graduates and their interpretation of our brand was refreshing to see. We wanted to create championship trophies that would be uniquely Formula E,” said Aspinall. “Ellen and Sarunas have delivered on this brief with dynamism, beauty and style.”
Paul De'Ath, BA Product Design course leader at Central Saint Martins, added: “Having an opportunity to showcase the creative product design talent at Central Saint Martins, within the exciting and emerging sector of electric vehicles and motorsport, is a superb example of how art and design can be successfully engaged with Formula E’s progressive and fast-moving business.”
The Drum redesigned its own awards trophy earlier this year.
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Formula E
Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, is a class of auto racing that uses only electric-powered cars. The series was conceived in 2011, and the...
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