Future Systems
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Architecture and design |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founder | Jan Kaplický, David Nixon |
| Defunct | 2009 |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Key people | Jan Kaplický, Amanda Levete, David Nixon |
| Products | Architectural design, high-tech architecture, blobitecture |
Number of employees | 35–45 |
Future Systems was an architectural and design firm based in London, directed by Jan Kaplický and Amanda Levete.
Established in 1979 by Kaplický and David Nixon following their experience with architects such as Denys Lasdun, Norman Foster, Renzo Piano, and Richard Rogers, Future Systems became synonymous with British high-tech architecture. The firm gained recognition for its bionic design approach and fluid, organic forms frequently described as "blobitecture." Kaplický was celebrated as a pioneering innovator, consistently pushing the boundaries of architectural expression.
Practice
Future Systems incorporated construction methodologies borrowed from other sectors, especially the curved monocoque shell techniques prevalent in aircraft, car design, and boat building industries.
During the 1990s, the practice shifted focus from conceptual designs to practical commissions, including the futuristic Media Centre at Lord's Cricket Ground (completed in 1999) and Birmingham’s Selfridges Building (completed in 2003). Kaplický received the prestigious Stirling Prize for his work on Lord's. The Selfridges store stands as a hallmark of early 21st-century "blobitecture" and is often likened to Peter Cook’s Austrian Kunsthaus Graz.
Following the Stirling Prize achievement, Future Systems obtained more substantial projects such as the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena, Italy (2009), alongside the unexecuted design for the new Czech National Library. In 2008, Kaplický and Levete parted ways professionally: Kaplický relocated to the Czech Republic with part of the team under the Future Systems name, while Levete maintained control over commissions including a proposed News Corporation headquarters in East London and a hotel-retail development in Bangkok, retaining most of the staff (between 35 and 45 employees).
History
1979 Founded by Jan Kaplický and David Nixon during their tenure at Foster Associates.
1989 Amanda Levete joined as partner, arriving from Richard Rogers & Partners.
1994 Completed the highly regarded Hauer-King house located in Canonbury, Islington, London.
1999 Awarded the Stirling Prize for the media centre at Lord's Cricket Ground.
2003 Delivered the Selfridges building within Birmingham’s Bull Ring shopping complex.
2007 Won commission for the Czech National Library project, which sparked controversy.
2008 Business partnership between Kaplický and Levete dissolved, leading to a split in operations.
2008 Presented a design proposal for the London Routemaster bus.
2008 Prague authorities cancelled the Czech National Library project.
2009 Jan Kaplický passed away on 14 January in Prague. Soon after, remaining personnel were released from Levete’s office.
Sources
Articles
- "Interview with Jan Kaplicky-Future Systems" by Alessandra Orlandoni - The Plan 008 January 2005
- Article on architecture of the Bull Ring shopping centre
Books
- Future Systems, Marcus Field, London: Phaidon, 1999, ISBN 0-7148-3831-4
- Unique Building (Lord's Media Centre), Future Systems, Chichester: Wiley Academy, 2001, ISBN 0-471-98512-0
- Confessions, Jan Kaplický, Chichester: Wiley-Academy, 2002, ISBN 0-471-49541-7
- For Inspiration Only, Jan Kaplický, Chichester: Academy Editions, 1996, ISBN 1-85490-478-7
- More for Inspiration Only, Jan Kaplický, Chichester: Academy Editions, 1999, ISBN 0-471-98770-0
- Looking Back in Envy: 20th Century Art and Design Revisited (Architectural Design), Jan Kaplický, Chichester: Wiley Academy, 2001, ISBN 0-470-84228-8
- Hauer-King House: Future Systems, Martin Pawley, London: Phaidon, 1997, ISBN 0-7148-3630-3
- Future Systems, editors Jana Tichá, Jan Kaplický & Ivan Margolius, Prague: Zlatý řez, 2002, ISBN 80-901562-6-6
- Česká inspirace - Czech inspiration, Jan Kaplický & Ivan Margolius, Prague: Fraktály Publishers, 2005, ISBN 80-86627-09-8
- Jan Kaplický - For the Future and For Beauty, Ivan Margolius, Stuttgart: Edition Axel Menges, 2022, ISBN 978-3-86905-025-6
- Yesterday's Future: Visionary Designs by Future Systems and Archigram, Philipp Sturm & Peter Cachola Schmal, Prestel, 2016, ISBN 978-3-7913-5575-7