CURRICULUM VITAE
EMILIO AMBASZ
ARCHITECT AND INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER
Exhibitions Curated
At Princeton University, he curated the exhibition Designing Programs/Programming Designs: An Exhibition of Karl Gerstner
He curated at The Museum of Modern Art selected exhibitions such a:
1969 Paris: May 1968: Posters of the Student Revolt
1972 Italy: The New Domestic Landscape: Achievements and Problems of Italian Design
1973 A Classic Car: Cisitalia G1 1946
1974 The Architecture of Luis Barragan
1976 The Taxi Project: Realistic Solutions for Today
Exhibitions of works
1983 Emilio Ambasz: 10 Years of Architecture, Graphic and Industrial Design, a show presented in Milan, Madrid, and Zurich
1985 Emilio Ambasz, The Axis Design and Architecture Gallery, Tokyo
1986 Emilio Ambasz, Institute of Contemporary Art of Geneva at HaIle Sud, Switzerland
1987 Emilio Ambasz, Arc-en- Ciel Gallery at the Center of Contemporary Art, Bordeaux, France
1989 Emilio Ambasz: Architecture, one-man show at The Museum of Modem Art, New York
1989 Emilio Ambasz: Architecture, Exhibition, Industrial and Graphic Design, a circulating one man show presented in San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Montreal, the Akron Art Museum in Ohio, the Art Institute of Chicago in Illinois, and the Laumeier Sculpture Park in SI. Louis
1993 Emilio Ambasz, one-man show, Tokyo Station Contemporary Center, Japan
1994 Emilio Ambasz, Architecture and Design, one-man show at the Centro Cultural Arte Contemporáneo in Mexico City.
2009 In Situ:Architecture and Landscape, a group show at The Museum of Modern Art, New York
2010 Green over Gray, one-man show at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco
2011-2012 Emilio Ambasz: Inventions – Architecture and Design; a comprehensive major retrospective, at the Centro Nacional de Arte Contemporáneo Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain
Publications by Ambasz
1972 Ambasz, Emilio, ed.: Italy: The New Domestic Landscape: Achievements and Problems of Italian Design. New York:
The Museum of Modern Art.
1976 Ambasz, Emilio, ed.: The Taxi Project: Realistic Solutions for Today. New York: The Museum of Modern Art.
1976 Ambasz, Emilio: The architecture of Luis Barragàn. The Museum of Modern Art, New York
1999 Ambasz, Emilio: Shigeru Ban. Lawrence King Publishing, London.
2004 Ambasz, Emilio: Analyzing Ambasz. The Monacelli Press, New York.
2006 Ambasz, Emilio, ed.: The Universitas Project: Solutions for a Post-Technological Society. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Publications about Ambasz
1989 Emilio Ambasz: The Poetics of the Pragmatic: Architecture, Exhibit, Industrial and Graphic Design. New York:
Rizzoli International Publications.
1993 Emilio Ambasz: Jnventions: The Reality of the ldeal. New York: Rizzoli International Publications.
1999 Architettura e Natura: Emilio Ambasz – Progetti & Oggetti. Milan: Electa.
2001 Emilio Ambasz: Natural Architecture, Artificial Design. Milan: Electa.
2004 Emilio Ambasz: A Technological Arcadia, by Fulvio Irace. Milan: Skira
2005 Emilio Ambasz: Casa de Retiro Espiritual. Electa Mondadori
2016 Emilio Ambasz: Architecture & Nature/Design & Artifice. Milan: Electa Mondadori
2017 Emerging Nature - Emilio Ambasz: Precursor of Architecture and Design, Lars Muller Publishers, Zurich, Switzerland.
2021 Emilio Ambasz: Green Architecture & Design Tales / Architettura verde & favole di design. Corraini Edizioni, Mantova.
2022 Emilio Ambasz: Curating a New Nature, by Barry Bergdoll. Rizzoli, New York.
Architectural Awards and Prizes
1976 Progressive Architecture Award for the Grand Rapids Art Museum, Michigan
1980 Progressive Architecture Award for La Casa de Retiro Spiritual, north of Seville, Spain
1983 Annual Interiors Award for the interior of Banque Bruxelles Lambert, Lausanne, Switzerland
1985 Progressive Architecture Award for Conservatory at the San Antonio Botanical Center, Texas
1986 First Prize and Gold Medal in the closed competition for the Universal Exhibition of 1992, Seville, Spain, plus special Architectural Projects Award for the Universal Exhibition of 1992, Seville, Spain
1986 First Prize in the competition for the Urban Pian for the Eschenheim Tower, Frankfurt, Germany
1987 Grand Prize of the International Interior Design Award for the headquarters of Financial Guaranty
Insurance Company, New York
1988 National Glass Association Award for Excellence in Commercial Design for the Conservatory
at the San Antonio Botanical Center, Texas
1990 Quaternario Award for the Conservatory at the San Antonio Botanical Center, Texas
2000 Special award by the Japanese Ministry of Public Works for the Mycal Cultural Center at Shin-Sanda, Japan
2000 Saflex Design Award for the Mycal Cultural Center at Shin-Sanda, Japan
2000 Architectural Grand Award by the American institute of Architects/Business Week for Fukuoka Prefectural and International Hall, Japan
2001 First Prize from the Japanese Institute of Architects for Fukuoka Prefectural and International Hall, Japan
2002 American Architectural Award for Monument Towers, Phoenix, Arizona,
2007 Medalla Manuel Tolsà by La Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
2010 Honorary Fellowship at The American Institute of Architects
2013 Commendatore d'Italia, Stella d'Oro, by the Italian government
2014 ISA 2014 Medal for Science of the Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Bologna
2015 Honorary International Fellow at the Royal Institute of British Architects
2021 Honorary Doctor Degree in Architecture & Engineering, University of Bologna
2023 Honorary Master’s Degree in Systemic Design, Polytechnic of Torino
Design Awards and Prizes
1977 GoId Prize by the IBD (USA) for the Vertebra Seating System
1979 SMAU Prize (Italy) for the Vertebra Seating System
1980 Design Excellence Award by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) for Logotec spotlight range
1981 Compasso d'Oro (Italy) for the Vertebra Seating System
1983 Design Excellence Award by the IDSA for Oseris spotlight range
1984 Jury Special Award by the Tenth Biennial of Industrial Design, Ljubljana
1985 Annual Design Review Award from Industria! Design Society of America (IDSA) for Cummins N14 Engine
1986 Design Excellence Award by the iDSA for Escargot air filter design for Fleetguard Incorporated
1986 IDEA Award from the IDSA for the headquarters of Financial Guaranty Insurance Company of New York, New York
1987 Nominated for American Institute of Architects' Architectural Projects Award for the Mercedes Benz Showroom
1987 Industrial Excellence ward by the lDSA forSaturno modular Lighting system
1988 Nominated for Compasso d'Oro (Italy) and by the IDSA for Flashlight
1988 Industrial Excellence Award by the IDSA
1989 Designer's Choice Award for AquaColor water color set
1991 Compasso d'Oro (Italy) for Qualis seating design
1992 Award by the IDSA for Handkerchief Television, Sunstar Toothbrushes, and Soft Notebook
1997 Vitruvius Award by the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires
1999 Award for Design Excellence by the IDSA/Business Week for Cummins Signature 600 Engine
2000 Gold Award for Design Excellence by the IDSA/Business Week, for Saturno, a street Lighting system
2001 Compasso d'Oro (Italy), for Saturno
2003 Gold Award in iF Design Award by the International Forum for Design, for Stacker chair design
2014 Medal of Science from the Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Bologna, Italy
2021 Grand Seal of the Arts, Awarded by the University of Urbino and by its Academy of Fine Arts
2021 Compasso d’Oro, Il Premio alla Carriera, Associazione del Design Italiano
2023 IN/Arch: Lifetime Award to the Career
EMILIO AMBASZ BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
