ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne

ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne

Enjoying international renown and featuring regularly among the world’s top ten universities of art and design, ECAL is directed by Alexis Georgacopoulos. The school currently offers six Bachelor programmes (Fine Arts, Cinema, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Media & Interaction Design, Photography), five Master programmes (Fine Arts, Film, Photography, Product Design, Type Design) and two Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship and in Design Research for Digital Innovation (with EPFL+ECAL Lab). ECAL also offers a one-year Foundation Course to prepare students for entrance to the different Bachelor’s programs. ecal.ch

«Heart of Glass»is a design research project to take place within the Master in Product Design of ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne. 

Relying on the school’s multidisciplinary strength, this project supported by HES-SO (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland) involved master students, assistants and professors as well as young graduates in the fields product design, fine arts, photography and interaction design to explore the possibilities offered by glass as a material in different contexts, from the engineer’s laboratory to the artist’s workshop.

The results include contributions by Ronan Bouroullec, Cyril Porchet, Mathieu Rivier, Pauline Saglio, Augustin Scott de Martinville, Brynjar Sigurðarson and Baker Wardlaw, in collaborations with glass experts such as Matteo Gonet or the CIAV Meisenthal. The aim of the project was not only to research the material from a designer’s point of view, but also to establish a case study of what design research could be in the context of a university.

With an original scenography concept created by French designer Camille Blin, the exhibition showcases a selection of pieces resulting from the project. This event is accompanied by a dedicated website to browse the comprehensive database as well as a publication. heartofglass.ch