Nigel Coates Overview

He hails from the land of tea and crumpets, but Nigel Coates first found success in a country better known for sushi and sake. But though Japan was the first to embrace his futuristic, semi-permanent "pop" stylings, it wasn't long before... [more]

He hails from the land of tea and crumpets, but Nigel Coates first found success in a country better known for sushi and sake. But though Japan was the first to embrace his futuristic, semi-permanent "pop" stylings, it wasn't long before his buttoned-down countrymen recognized Coates' avant-garde visions as more than just frivolity. A shopworn characterization of Coates credits him with being "an amazingly well-known architect given the fact that he hasn't actually produced much." In fact, the multi-faceted Coates, born in Malvern in 1949, has designed everything from hand-blown glass vases to furniture, restaurants, sushi bars, and exhibit spaces. During the early 1980s Coates designed the interiors of such notable clubs as Tokyo's Bohemian Jazz Club, Metropole, and Cafe Bongo, as well as the Hotel Maritimo in Otaru. Stemming from his success with interior design, Coates' "Jazz" and "Metropole" furniture collections appeared in Japan in 1987. And once England realized its stodgy image could use an update, Coates finally became the rage in his home country. Coates has consistently questioned the status quo with his visionary leanings. Today, new clients are happy to wait patiently for their turn in line. Coates' works -- from the wine-and-dine Taxim Nightpark (1991) to the newest wing of the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam (1993) -- prove him to be a contender. In 1995, he stepped into the academic ring as a professor of architectural design at The Royal College of Art, London. [show less]