Happy birthday No. 81
In January 2011 the Michelin Building was 100 years old as was the UK Michelin Guide. Bibendum Restaurant, The Conran Shop and Michelin Plc marked the occasion with a series of events.
Michelin Starred Event
On Tuesday 20th January 2011 the Oyster Bar hosted an event for the Michelin Starred Chefs of the UK and Ireland in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland. It was also an opportunity for the retiring editor of The Mchelin Guide, Derek Bulmer to say a fond farewell to so many of the most talented chefs that there are. See pictures of the event.
Limited edition centenary Michelin Man dish
Bibendum Restaurant produced a limited edition dish featuring Monsieur Bibendum himself, (The Michelin Man) the design was officially approved by Michelin Plc who fiercely guards their famous idol.
Royal College of Art – Poster Competition
To celebrate the 100th Birthday of Michelin House,
Sir Terence Conran and Bibendum restaurant teamed up with the Royal College of Art to commission a poster to mark the occasion. Masters students from the RCA’s Communication Art and Design department
were invited to submit a design for a poster commemorating Michelin House’s centenary to hang in Bibendum restaurant alongside its noted collection of famous original Michelin Tyre advertising posters.
The judging panel, consisted of leading figures from the design world Michael Wolff, Stephen Bayley and Sir Terence, gathered in Bibendum Oyster Bar as the shortlist of thirteen design proposals were revealed.
At the end of the judging session, the winner was 24-year-old first year student Marta Dlugolecka (pictured below with her poster) who wowed the judges with a celebratory “Bowler Hat” image. Her poster is now on permanent display in Bibendum restaurant and can now be purchased in The Conran Shop, also located within the iconic Michelin Building. Marta also gets a cheque for the £1000 prize money.
Competition judge and designer, Terence Conran, said: “I loved Marta’s poster and it will sit perfectly alongside the other stunning Michelin posters we have in Bibendum. She has managed to capture the charm, fun and wit that to me is everything Michelin and our beautiful building stand for. It is simple and gets straight to the point, which is not as easy as it looks.
The quality of the posters submitted was outstanding, and it was very interesting talking to the students about the inspiration behind their posters. The talent on display demonstrates precisely why we should be nurturing and promoting our young talent, not stifling it. The creativity and innovation of our young designers and artists makes a huge and important contribution to the economy – and future – of this country.”
Winner, Marta Dlugolecka, said: “I am just so happy they noticed my poster because the standard of the other entries was really high. Before I began designing the poster I went to look at the building which is so beautiful and not like other buildings you see. I wanted to capture the quirkiness of it in my poster whilst at the same time giving it a real feeling of energy and celebration.”
Runners up were Rachel Lillie and Patric Sandri, who both receive a £500 cash prize. To see Rachel and Patric’s posters, plus all the other entries and additional images of the judging click on the "More images" link above.
(To browse through all the images; click the right side of the image to move to the next image and the left side to see the previous image.)
Marta’s poster is available from the The Conran Shop for £85 unframed or £250 framed.
They have also set up a website offering an amnesty to anyone knowing the whereabouts of the original stained-glass windows. The windows were removed by Michelin in 1939 at the outset of the war and were subsequently lost. When Sir Terence Conran and the late Lord Paul Hamlyn bought the building in 1985, they commissioned new windows using photographs and posters to replicate the originals.