Ramón Bigas

Ramón Bigas began his academic path in Physics, but quickly sensed that his true calling lay in the creative realm. In 1958, he co-founded Associate Designers with Pep Sant—a multidisciplinary studio that became a European reference for its conceptual boldness and ability to translate complex ideas into tangible forms. From there, Bigas expanded into a practice that spanned industrial, graphic, exhibition, and even urban design, always guided by a curious, radical, and open spirit.

Among his most recognized contributions are the exterior design of Spain’s high-speed AVE train, which broke away from conventional rail aesthetics, and the symbolic Olympic cauldron for the 1992 Barcelona Games—a piece of poetic engineering imbued with collective meaning. But Bigas did not limit himself to the monumental: he also designed lamps, chairs, tables, and even Christmas light installations for the city of Barcelona, applying the same meticulous attention and drive for innovation.

The Ramón chair—with its lightweight metal frame and handwoven seat—embodies his design approach: balanced, austere, straightforward. As he once explained, design is not pure invention, but a way of making ideas feasible; a practice where beauty emerges through the ordering of complexity. The key lies in breaking down all the components surrounding a product.

He served as president of FAD from 1995 to 2001, and left behind in each project an ethic of doing things well, a sense of public service, and a visual intelligence that continues to inspire new generations.