By the time he graduated from his studies at Ravensbourne College of Art and Design in 2002, Samuel Wilkinson had been awarded prestigious prizes such as the RSA award and the D&AD New Blood prize. Going on to work on award-winning products for the likes of British Airways, Audi, Samsung and Virgin Atlantic, Wilkinson was well positioned to set up his own industrial design studio in 2008. It is through his eponymously named design studio that Samuel Wilkinson co-designed L’arbre de Flonville in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

This monumental work of art transformed the city’s square with its sculptural metal tree trunk surrounded by a series of benches resembling roots. Samuel Wilkinson’s contribution to furniture design is vast, with designs that include the award-winning Plumen LED Bulb and the Biome Terrarium. He has also worked with The Conran Shop to create a range of exclusive pieces, including the Flo and Domino Lights and the Prop Chair.