‘less materiality means more humanity’: philippe starck on the designeuropa lifetime award

PHILIPPE STARCK RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2026

For French designer Philippe Starck, being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 DesignEuropa Awards in Ljubljana marks more than a celebration of iconic forms. It serves as an active platform to discuss an impending, systemic evolution. From iconic everyday objects widely regarded as modern design classics, to his landmark work in art direction, architecture, interior design, mobility, and spatial and naval engineering, Starck has continually redefined what it means to be a creator. Yet, he enters this milestone with a distinct position: the ultimate destination for industrial design is its complete disappearance. As the creative sector navigates an era defined by resource scarcity and changing human behaviors, his focus remains locked on stripping away mass production to maximize human utility. 

‘The future is based on dematerialization,’ comments Starck, opening the conversation with designboom in an exclusive interview. ‘This means the product is disappearing and the more it disappears, the more powerful it becomes. In my own practice — that I encourage and advocate — I consistently strive to create with the minimum of the minimum, because I believe that less materiality means more intelligence and more humanity. This actually questions the role of the designer as we have known it so far.’

DesignEuropa Awards honors Philippe Starck with Lifetime Achievement Award 2026 | all images courtesy of Starck

BIALETTI MOKA, PORSCHE TURBO AND MORE HONORED BY EUIPO

Organized by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the 2026 edition marks the 10th anniversary of the DesignEuropa Awards, an international program established to celebrate creators who protect their physical ideas as EU designs. The awards history includes widely recognized designs like the Bialetti Moka pot and the Porsche Turbo, illustrating how legal protection supports an object’s economic value. By bridging this heritage with a modern creative landscape rapidly accelerating under generative AI and automated physical reproduction, the EUIPO aims to protect independent creators from rapid physical replication.

‘Institutions such as the European Union Intellectual Property Office are vital to protect creation and creativity, especially now with the birth and exponential development of artificial intelligence. A.I. can deliver something really good in a second. So, there will be five billion young designers who will never think about creating, they will simply ask an A.I. to do it. The work no longer exists. That is why, when I have the chance, I tell young designers to think twice and that the secret to success is to be alone and have your own idea,’ explains Starck when reflecting on the role of formal design registration today.

Juicy Salif for ALESSI, 1988

SHAPING A MUTATION FROM MATTER TO SERVICE

Starck spent decades working to lower production costs and increase the availability of well-designed goods, a philosophy he termed democratic design. Now that functional industrial goods are widely accessible, he argues that the focus must shift to environmental responsibility. The challenge is no longer to fill empty domestic spaces, but to implement a strategy of positive de-growth. Creators and consumers alike are challenged to dial back output by a calculated, collective ten percent — a marginal shift that remains unnoticeable on an individual level but radically alters global material dependencies.

‘Today, I believe the battle for democratic design is won since almost anyone can afford a quality chair for fifty euros, yet my mission remains unchanged: to give the best service — whatever form it takes — to the maximum number of people and using the minimum of resources from our limited planet,’ shares Starck on his enduring criteria for introducing any new object into a saturated market.

Miss Dior chair for DIOR, 2020

This approach requires rejecting short product lifecycles driven by three-month trend updates. Starck argues that longevity occurs when an object outlasts temporary fashions through a balance of engineering and materials. To achieve this, he collaborates with established manufacturers such as Alessi, Baccarat, Cassina, Duravit, Flos, Kartell, Target, and Emeco, among many more, using their deep technological expertise to test new material limits. Whether spending thirty years perfecting the exact structural curvature of 3D-molded wooden furniture or introducing a punk-like subversion to historical product icons, the goal is always to create a fertile surprise that honors long-term cultural transmission.

‘For creators of my generation, the subject is even more vital because we are not only producers of ideas, but we are also still producers of matter. We have a duty and a responsibility to design sustainably and to create projects that are timeless, honest, and of the highest quality both materially and culturally — to ensure their longevity. To do this, we must challenge trends that consume too much energy, cynicism and contempt,’ he further notes.

LA REDOUTE, Good Goods catalog “The non-objects for the non-consumers of the future moral market” 1994-96

Operating across vastly different scales, Starck uses the same methodology whether designing a plastic chair, a luxury vessel, or a zero-gravity habitation module for Axiom Space. He treats physical spaces as narratives, arranging shapes, colors, and textures to influence how a room feels. By treating physical enclosures as narrative scripts, spaces are transformed into active, stimulating environments designed to guide human emotion. Objects like the Juicy Salif lemon squeezer or the Louis Ghost chair function as focal points within an environment rather than just tools.

‘Whether it is design or architecture, poetic and humorous stories are as important as ergonomics and functionality,’ Starck shares. ‘The Juicy Salif is both a lemon-squeezer and a conversation starter, the Louis Ghost chair is an everyday friend that one can choose to see or to forget… when I imagine new places, I act like a film director, aiming to create stimulating scenarios within which people will be immersed, feeling more creative, more intelligent, and even, I hope, more in love.’

DURAVIT Starck Barrel |  image © Alberto Zanetti, 2024

Looking forward, this narrative approach directly extends to the next generation of creators, who are increasingly tasked with creating systems and services rather than physical goods. As the 10th anniversary of the DesignEuropa Awards highlights this transition, the competition spotlights a diverse cross-section of innovation across the EU. Shortlisted finalists from countries including Czechia, Germany, Latvia, Slovenia, and Spain demonstrate a wide sectorial footprint, stretching from critical healthcare advancements and home or urban appliances to sustainable agriculture, fitness, and sports. The 2026 edition captures the ever evolving design landscape through the Next Generation Design Award, celebrating young creators up to 29, alongside the newly introduced Public Choice Award, which invites the design community to directly cast its vote on these defining benchmarks.

‘The next generation of creators will no longer produce materiality but create service. They will be our coaches, our dieticians, our psychiatrists. This is not a choice, this is our future and the only way to contribute to the great story of our evolution. We, humans, are part of our permanent mutation. There are still unexplored territories, and this empty space will be incredibly fertile for thought and creativity,’ he concludes.

LA ALMAZARA Ronda, 2024 | image © Alfonso Quiroga Ferro

project info: 

award: DesignEuropa Lifetime Achievement Award 2026

winner: Philippe Starck | @starck

organization: European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)