Awarded by the Interior Design Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), the prestigious Lawrence Israel Prize for 2011 has been awarded to David Rockwell. Given annually to an individual or firm whose ideas and work enrich FIT Interior Design students’ course of study. Past winners include Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis, Billie Tsien, and Charles Gwathmey.
David Rockwell is the founder of Rockwell Group based in New York City with a satellite office in Madrid. The firm’s project types range from master planning, strategy, building to interior design, set design, and custom furniture design. Current projects and completed work by Rockwell includes: Imagination Playground in downtown New York City; the JetBlue Terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport; and the Nobu restaurants in New York, Dubai and Hong Kong; Sets for Broadway’s Catch Me If You Can; the new restaurant Untitled at the Whitney Museum of American Art; the first Yotel outside of Europe, in Times Square; W Hotels in Paris and Singapore; a renovation of Los Angeles’ legendary Hotel Bel Air; and the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Society at Lincoln Center.
Recipients of the award are invited to give a public lecture. On Thursday, April 28th Rockwell will discuss his professional journey, current Rockwell Group projects, and his latest explorations using technology to create more powerful spatial experiences. The lecture is free and open to the public and will be held at 6:00pm in the Katie Murphy Amphitheatre at FIT.
