Nigel Coates thinks architecture should pull together the normal world in the broadest sense, but at the same time, provide windows for the imagination.

His drawings set the tone for this synthetic design - their line is serpentine, the view dynamic. Both of these characteristics enliven his objects and buildings with a sense of movement and spontaneity.

He has been able to turn his visionary ideas into reality, with major buildings in Japan and now the UK, as well as some stage sets and a series of striking shop interiors and exhibitions in London, notably Jigsaw, Liberty and Living Bridges at the Royal Academy.

His commitment is to the making of environments that serve to overlay and enhance, rather than overpower and disrupt, the social events they contain.

Coates was an influential teacher at the Architectural Association from 78- 86, and has lectured extensively abroad. In 1995 he was appointed Professor of Architectural Design at the Royal College of Art and now divides his time equally between the college and his office.

Born
1949 England

Education
1972-74 Architectural Association School of Architecture, A.A diploma
1968-72 Nottingham University

Academic
1995 Appointed Professor of Architectural Design, Royal College of Art
1985 Formed Branson Coates Architecture with Doug Branson Unit Master of Unit 10 at the A.A.
1983 Formed NAT0 (Narrative Architecture Today) with Catrina Beevor, Martin Benson, Peter Fleissig, Robert Mull, Christina Norton, Mark Prizeman, Melanie Sainsbury and Carlos Villanueva. Edited first NAT0 Magazine
Awards
1997 Powerhouse::UK competition winners for a 1200m2 exhibition which ran in parallel with the ASEM II London Summit 1998
1998 Oyster House winner of £10,000 prize for the Concept House competition to design a speculative estate house which was built at the 1998 Ideal Home Exhibition in London
Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) Branson Coates winners as design team for major new development
1992 Chartered Society of Designers, Short listed entries for Jigsaw Shop, Brompton Road (environmental design), Tongue Chair for SCP, and Choker Vase for SCP (product design)
1990 Received Japan Inter-Design award for contribution to Japanese Cities through architectural work
1978 Italian Government scholarship to Rome University

One person Exhibitions
1992 Ecstacity, Architectural Association, London Ecstacity, Fondation pour l'Architecture, Brussels
1984 ArkAlbion, Architectural Association, London
1979 Nightlives of the Artists, Galleria Zona, Florence

Selected Branson Coates Projects
Design For British Expo Pavilions Lisbon 98 And Hanover 2000
Living Bridges Exhibition - International Tour
1999 Geffrye Museum Twentieth Century Gallery, London
1999 National Centre for Popular Music Sheffield
1998 Powerhouse::uk, Horseguards Parade, London
1998 Nigel Coates' Oyster House, The Ideal Home Exhibition
1997 Erotic Design Exhibition, The Design Museum, London
1993 Nautilus and La Fort Restaurants, Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam
1992 Stage set for Laurie Booth's dance - Requiair
1991 Taxim Nightpark, Istanbul
1990 Hamnett Active, Tokyo, Japan
1989 Hotel Otaru Marittimo, Otaru, Japan
1988-1996 Jigsaw Shops throughout UK and Japan

Furniture and Objects
1999 Nigel Coates Furniture collection for Lloyd Loom
1998 Oxo chairs for Hitch Mylius, rugs for Kappa Lambda, Oyster Dining Furniture for Lloyd Loom
1996 Coates for Simon Moore glass vase collection Bargo Chair and Table designed for Bargo bar, Glasgow
1994 Hitch Mylius launch Slipper Chair at Spectrum, London
1990 100% Make Up edition of vases for Allessi Italy
1989 SCP launch Tongue Chair at Salone del Mobile, Milan

Bibliography
1999 Body Building & Cityscapes, Jonathan Glancey, Thames & Hudson
1997 The Power of Erotic Design, Catalogue essay by Nigel Coates, The Design Museum
1992 Ecstacity, Exhibition Catalogue, Nigel Coates, Introductions by Brian Hatton and John Thackara, Architectural Association Publications, London
1991 New British Interiors: Nigel Coates - Zaha Hadid, Anthony Fawcett, Art Random, Tokyo
1990 Post Modern Triumphs in London, Charles Jencks, London Design After Modernism, John Thackara, Thames and Hudson, London
1984 Nigel Coates: The City in Motion, Rick Poynor, Fourth Estate, London New British Architecture, Jonathan Glancey, Thames and Hudson, London
1984 ArkAlbion & six other projects, Nigel Coates, Introduction by Brian Hatton, Architectural Association, London

Museum Collections
Prints and Drawings collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Modern Furniture Collection, Victoria & Albert Museum, London