"Dieter Rams: A Look Back and Ahead" Exhibition Welcomes Visitors at Our Faculty of Architecture

As part of the dynamic collaboration between ITU’s Department of Industrial Design and Braun—aimed at promoting creativity and innovation in product design—the touring exhibition of Dieter Rams, a legendary figure in the history of industrial design, titled “Dieter Rams: A Look Back and Ahead,” opened its doors on March 3 at our Faculty of Architecture.

Istanbul Technical University’s Department of Industrial Design is collaborating with Braun to "Carry the Past Forward." Within this framework, the touring exhibition “Dieter Rams: A Look Back and Ahead,” realized in partnership with the Rams Foundation and Braun, will remain open from March 3 to April 18 at hall no. 102 in our Taşkışla Campus.

At the opening ceremony of the exhibition, held in hall no. 109, ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal emphasized that the long-standing heritage and forward-looking vision of our university align perfectly with Rams’ design philosophy. The Rector highlighted that Braun’s achievements and Dieter Rams’ contributions underline the importance of simple, functional, and human-centered design. Prof. Dr. Mandal also expressed that this exhibition provides our students with the opportunity to explore the inspirations of the past and shape the design perspectives of the future.

Prof. Dr. Mandal emphasized that the exhibition, offering an opportunity to explore Rams’ timeless design principles, serves as a significant platform strengthening the dialogue between industry and academia. He added that they are delighted to announce the beginning of a new phase with Braun as part of industry-university collaboration, and that a course will be introduced at ITU’s Department of Industrial Design.

Dean of ITU Faculty of Architecture, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Küçükmehmetoğlu, Head of ITU Department of Industrial Design, Prof. Dr. Çiğdem Kaya, Braun’s Design Director Markus Orthey, Braun Senior Lead Product Designer Sven Wuttig, and Rams Foundation Scientific Patron Hehn-Chu Ahn greeted participants and delivered speeches at the exhibition’s opening.

After the opening ceremony, our Rector toured the exhibition with his delegation, received information, and wrote his reflections in the guestbook as a memento of the day.

With over 350 products designed for Braun and Vitsœ, Dieter Rams left a remarkable mark on the second half of the 20th century. As a pioneer of modern design with principles of simplicity, functionality, and sustainability, this exhibition highlights the evolution of Rams’ design philosophy and its role in today’s sustainability discussions. It provides a unique opportunity to deeply understand his philosophy of “Less, but better” and his visionary approach to design.

In this exhibition curated by Dieter Rams in collaboration with Klaus Klemp, designs from Rams' private collection, archival photographs, and documents are showcased. The exhibition is based on the “Catalogue Raisonné” book, published by Phaidon Press in 2020, offering an in-depth look into Rams' design world.

Since the 1970s, Rams has advocated for objects to be long-lasting and for design to adopt an environmentally conscious approach. He developed the principle now known as "aesthetic of use." Rams is renowned for his philosophy: “Good design is environmentally friendly. Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment and involves conserving resources and reducing physical and visual pollution.”