Jury-GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN / Published on January 7, 2021
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Sonia Gagnon
President & CEO
Agence SGM
Montréal, Québec, Canada
PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE – PEOPLE OF DESIGN VERSION!
What prescient childhood memory relates to your current career?
When I was younger, I was in total awe of my father’s talent for designing and building dollhouses and furniture for me. He was resourceful, patient and creative.
What are three basic rules you learned from your mentors?
Follow your instincts;
Trust your team;
Be flexible while staying on track.
Source: http://quebecbd.com/le-festival/
What project launched your career?
A comic book festival I created, 30 years ago that still exists to this day.
ABC Lounge – Photo : Source abc-lounge.com
Do you work in PJs or three-piece suits?
A blazer and jeans, usually. Never PJs, that’s for sure!
What is your current design state of mind?
I am currently focused on consumer behaviour, in order to optimize on-site experience.
What living designer/architect do you most admire?
Pierre Thibaut for his ability to place human beings at the core of his designs. He inhibits constant interactions between them and their spaces.
I also deeply admire his vision for schools that meets today and tomorrow’s needs.
L’espace que j’ai vu… a portrait of the architect pierre thibault, 2007, a film by Anne-Marie Tougas
Pierre Thibaut – video source https://www.pthibault.com/
Photo : https://www.zaha-hadid.com/
What past designer/architect inspires you the most?
Zaha Hadid, the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize, for her contribution to 21st-century architecture.
What is your most marked design quality?
I am in “design thinking”. My strength is ollaborating with architects to create spaces that put the human component in priority.
How would you like your designs to go down in history?
By having the spaces created remain lively and long-lasting.
What peer quality do you most value?
Continuous adaptation and adapted creativity.
Which project is the epitome of your work?
Future projects, dare I say!
How are your country of belonging’s values reflected in your work?
The value from Canada that reflects in my work, I’d say, is my openness to others.
What always inspires you?
Challenges. Keep them coming!
If a spell were to transform you into an object, by all means, what would you like to be, and why?
A plane, to discover the world!
What is your favorite place in the world?
In Paris, on a terrace, watching people enjoy life!
Changi Airport – Source : Unsplash, @sbk202
What design or architecture project do you wish you would have thought of yourself?
The Changi Airport in Singapore.
If you could host any three guests, past or alive, over for dinner, who would you choose and what would you dare serving?
Simone Veil, Coco Chanel and Barack Obama.
On the menu: Japanese dishes
 Simone Veil – Photo : Rob C. Croes / Anefo |
 Coco Chanel-photo: Lipnitzki Roger Viollet |
 Barack Obama – Photo : Pete Souza |
