Sir Ken Adam is considered the most influential production designer in the world. His celebrated career has spanned seven decades and over 70 films. From space stations to caves to labs for 007 villains, Adam has received numerous honors and awards for his work, including a British Academy Film Award, six Academy Award nominations, two Academy Awards and the Art Directors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award.
Adam was born Klaus Hugo Adam in Berlin in 1921. His family had to leave Berlin in 1934 and emigrated to London. Here Adam first enrolled at the Bartlett School of Architecture. During World War II he was a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force. He came to film in the 1950s as a set designer. By chance he was commissioned to design a film.
Ken Adam provided James Bond with unforgettable sets
Adam’s name is primarily associated with James Bond films, the sets of which bore his signature from the start. In total, he worked on seven Bond films. In addition to hiding the Bond villains, Adam was also responsible for James Bond’s cars: the amphibious Lotus Esprit in “The Spy Who Loved Me” is legendary, or the Aston Martin DB5 from “Goldfinger” loaded with gadgets.
Adam was knighted for his outstanding contributions to the film.
From the first sketches to the finished set
A hand-signed Collector’s Edition now honors his highly decorated work. The volume was created in collaboration with the Deutsche Kinemathek, which has housed Adam’s personal archive since 2012. Hundreds of sketches and photographs, many of which are now being published for the first time, give a vivid impression of Adam’s work. The sketches reveal every step of the creative process, making it easy to understand. The reader can follow the entire development process from the first sketches to the finished set.
Hardcover, bound in iridescent bicolor fabric, with 4-phase hologram, 36 x 36 cm, 3.88 kg, 360 pages, with engraved acrylic book stand. Collector’s Edition of 1200 copies numbered and signed by Ken Adam. Published by Taschen Verlag, price 850 euros.