The London Design Medal 2011

The list of recipients of The London Design Medal is becoming a who's who of the extraordinary talent that's been attracted to work in the capital - Thomas Heatherwick, Zaha Hadid, Paul Smith and Marc Newson. Now Israeli-born, London based designer Ron Arad joins them. At the presentation dinner, Arad said, "I can't imagine doing whatever it is I do anywhere else in the world."

A pivotal moment in the Festival calendar - it is the only award of its kind issued by us - the London Design Medal is one of British design's most coveted accolades, more especially so because winners are shortlisted and selected by a distinguished panel of peers and experts.

Ben Evans, Festival director, said,  "Ron Arad defies categorization - during his long career, he has been an architect, product and a furniture designer, and achieved a formidable reputation in each of these fields.  He has carved out a market of his own and his work is now included in virtually every major collection.  As Professor of Design products at the RCA for ten years, his influence on design and young designers has been huge and he has contributed greatly to the current generation of talented designers now dominating design." 

A special Lifetime Achievement Award was also presented to Vidal Sassoon.

The task of choosing this year's winner fell to a panel that includes last year's winner, Thomas Heatherwick, GLA Director of Arts and Culture Munira Mirza, Design Gallerist Libby Sellers, Sir Nicholas Serota and Nadja Swarovski, Creative Director of Swarovski. The medal was presented at a VIP Dinner held in St Paul's Cathedral, whose Geometric Staircase also hosts Swarovski's collaboration with John Pawson, Perspectives.

The London Design Medal is specially designed by Pentagram.

The 2011 London Design Medal award ceremony and dinner were sponsored by Swarovski Crystal Palace.