The star of the Wise Men. Swarovski Star for the Rockefeller Center by Daniel Libeskind

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Dates
November 14 – January 7, 2019

Daniel Libeskind

Daniel Libeskind, American architect of Polish-Jewish descent (Lodz, 1946). Son of Holocaust survivors, Libeskind emigrated with his family to America in 1964. He achieved renown as an architect with his designs for the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the master plan for the reconstruction of the site of the World Trade Center in New York. In May 2013 Libeskind was also appointed architect of a Holocaust memorial in Columbus, the capital of the American state of Ohio.


Libeskind’s studio has designed various museums and other cultural and public buildings all over the world. Libeskind himself has also held many academic positions, and he was the first holder of the Frank O. Gehry Chair at the University of Toronto. Among the numerous awards he has received is the Hiroshima Art Prize (2001) for artists who propagate international peace and understanding through their work. It was the first time the prize was awarded to an architect.

In 2011 Libeskind delivered the eighth Auschwitz Never Again Lecture in Amsterdam, and on that occasion he also received the Annetje Fels-Kupferschmidt Award, presented annually to an individual or organization for the exceptional way it has realized the goals of the Dutch Auschwitz Committee.

Nadja Swarovski

Nadja Swarovski is the first female Member of the Executive Board of Swarovski, the world’s leading crystal manufacturer. The great-great- granddaughter of Daniel Swarovski, founder of the company in 1895, she leads the global brand strategy and communications of a family business that turns over more than €3.2 billion a year.

In the past 20 years Nadja has driven a dynamic program of collaborations between Swarovski and leading figures in design. Commissioning innovative installations, artworks and products that celebrate crystal, she has positioned Swarovski at the vanguard of creative and lifestyle trends.

From Alexander McQueen to Daniel Libeskind, the relationships she has built in fashion and jewelry, design and architecture, film and art, have established her as one of the world’s leading patrons of creativity. Nadja also oversees Swarovski’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives and philanthropic programs, and chairs the Swarovski Foundation.

In fashion, Nadja has built on Swarovski’s legacy of collaborating with the industry’s leading lights and emerging talents, implementing groundbreaking designer support and catwalk initiatives including the Swarovski Collective (founded in 1999), and Runway Rocks (founded in 2003).

In design, Nadja launched Swarovski Crystal Palace in 2002, an initiative that reimagined lighting through collaborations with designers in the medium of crystal. The resulting body of work offered a snapshot of the most exciting creative minds of the modern era, including Zaha Hadid, John Pawson, Tom Dixon, Ross Lovegrove, Arik Levy and Yves Béhar.

In 2007 Nadja developed Atelier Swarovski, a cutting-edge jewelry and accessories line featuring collaborations with designers including Christopher Kane, Viktor & Rolf, Jean Paul Gaultier and Karl Lagerfeld. Atelier Swarovski launched a home décor range in 2016, in partnership with innovators such as Daniel Libeskind, Ron Arad, Tord Boontje, Fredrikson Stallard and rising stars Raw Edges.

Nadja has also strengthened Swarovski’s relationship with the film industry through partnerships with costume and set designers. Swarovski crystals have been featured in movies including The Young Victoria, Black Swan and Skyfall. In the music industry she has overseen collaborations with costume designers for performers such as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez and Madonna.

Since 2012 Nadja has led Swarovski’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, ensuring that ethical and environmental standards are embedded in the company’s business practices as it pursues its aim of becoming a world leader in sustainable luxury. She is an Ambassador for Women for Women International, and under her leadership Swarovski has signed up to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles and the UN Global Compact.

Nadja chairs the Swarovski Foundation, which she established to consolidate the company’s long-term commitment to charitable giving. With a focus on education, the Foundation supports projects that foster creativity and culture, meet social needs and promote wellbeing, and conserve natural resources. The Foundation has supported projects that include the restoration of the San Giorgio statue at the Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, the new Swarovski Foundation Centre for Learning at the Design Museum in London, Women for Women International and Water Aid.

Born in Germany, Nadja is an Austrian and American citizen, and was educated in Europe and the US. After graduating from the Southern Methodist University in Dallas in 1992, she completed a graduate course in Fine and Decorative Arts at Sotheby’s in New York. She is currently based in London. In 2016 she was made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, in recognition of Swarovski’s support for the Palace of Versailles.
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