Major and Speirs, who founded Speirs + Major in 1992, worked together on projects including the exterior lighting of Saint Paul’s Cathedral and the tree lighting along Queen’s Walk on London’s South Bank before Speirs died of cancer earlier this year. They share the accolade with 12 other designers, including landscape architects Andrew Grant and Dan Pearson.
Grant, who is founder-director of Bath-based Grant Associates, and Pearson, who heads London-based Dan Pearson Studio, are the only landscape architects other than Kim Wilkie to have been made Royal Designers for Industry since the accolade was introduced by the Royal Society of Architects in 1936 (Wilkie was given the title in 2009).
Speirs + Major has also this month announced the Jonathan Speirs Scholarship Fund, a charitable trust to provide support to students of architecture who may wish to enter the lighting profession. Speirs died in June at the age of 54.
The distinction Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) was established by the RSA to enhance the status of designers in industry and to encourage a high standard of industrial design. It is given to designers in the UK who have shown sustained design excellence, work of aesthetic value and significant benefit to society.
The other winners include the musician Brian Eno and architect Sarah Wigglesworth, who is renowned for her use of ecological materials, including straw, in architecture.
Only 200 designers are able to hold the distinction RDI at any one time. There are now 140 RDIs and 61 Honorary RDIs. Other current holders of the Award include Terence Conran, Jonathan Ive, James Dyson, Vivienne Westwood and Thomas Heatherwick.
Visit the RSA website for a full list of the 12 designers to be honoured this year.
