Congratulations to professors Alex Padwa and Elad Kashi from the Department of Industrial Design, who have won the Edmond de Rothschild Design Award!

 The panel of judges for the Edmond de Rothschild Design Award, led by Baroness Ariane de Rothschild, selected the winning artists for the award, which this year focused on product design. 

Alex Padwa, who won the Experienced Designer prize along with Reddish Studio (Naama Steinbock and Idan Friedman), was awarded 90,000 NIS. Explaining their decision, the judges said “In his impressive portfolio, most of the projects are characterized by a large scale that places them, in terms of presence and user experience, somewhere between product and architecture.

Whether the products are vehicles, an MRI machine, or a biopsy analysis device, Padwa creates three-dimensional icons in the space while challenging design paradigms. The user experience, the ergonomics, and the interface are all treated and packaged into a readable icon that bears his unmistakable signature.”

Winner of the Experienced Designer Award – Alex Padwa. Photo: Amnon Horesh.

 

Graduate and lecturer at the Department of Industrial Design, Elad Kashi, was also awarded a special commendation in the Emerging Designer category. The judging panel noted “the detailed portfolio that Kashi presented, which stood out for the depth of the work processes and the devotion and precision with which he engages in the classic industrial design profession.

Kashi influences generations of young designers through his work as a design lecturer, and supplements his academic knowledge with industry application through his professional work in his studio, thereby helping to promote industrial design in Israel.”

Elad Kashi – Special commendation. Photo: Amnon Horesh.

 

Alongside Alex and Elad from Shenkar, design prizes were also awarded to Talia Mukmel and Studio Kuchik Amitai (Gili Kuchik and Ran Amitai) in the Emerging Designers category, and Shira Keret and Itai Landau who received special commendations in the Emerging Designers category.

Alex Padwa is a vehicle and product designer with a master’s degree in vehicle design from the British RCA (Royal College of Art). He owns an independent industrial design studio. He served as head of the Department of Industrial Design at Shenkar between 2003-2014, paving the way for several noteworthy achievements. He was a partner in projects with world-renowned designer Philippe Starck, worked for several years as a vehicle designer at the French car manufacturer Citroen, led workshops on creativity and innovation at the academy and in industry and taught for around 15 years at the RCA.

Elad Kashi is the owner and designer at FIT R&D, a product development design agency. He is a bachelor’s degree graduate from the Department of Industrial Design at Shenkar, where he now teaches. He won first prize in the 2013 Israeli Ot Haitzuv design contest in the product design category for his design of the Hydra Balance machine for Phoebus Energy. He was a finalist in the 2013 Ot Haitzuv design contest in the product design category for his motorcycle lock design for the company MOTO-LOCK and a finalist in the 2015 Ot Haitzuv contest in the product design category for his streetlamp design for the company Juganu.

 

The Edmond de Rothschild Design Award, founded by the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation, promotes and encourages excellence through public recognition of experienced artists with a significant body of quality work, identifies and supports early-stage designers, expands local interest in contemporary design and increases exposure to Israeli design.