5 Things That Inspire Land Rover’s Head Of Design

Here's one of the most talented guys in the car world, Land Rover's Design Director and Chief Creative Officer Gerry McGovern, on five things that inspire and influence his work in major ways. His taste is fantastic.

1.) Round Café, Coventry

"My mother worked in the café for a while and I used to sit in there as a child. It felt like being in a spaceship. So I was introduced to this world of modernism and futuring from a very young age, which is something that has always stayed with me."

2.) Eames lounge chair

"The Eames chair has certain values that are important to me as a designer. For example, being true to materials. The fact that, rather than covering up the structure, the designers chose to celebrate it. However, by continually refining and updating the materials and finishes, as well as improving the quality of construction with more contemporary materials, softer leathers and lighter woods, means that it's still as relevant today as the day it was designed."

3.) Josef Albers – 'Never Before I' series

"One of the reasons why I admire Albers so much is the precision that he achieved through silkscreen printing, which meant he could create perfect lines of connecting colour. The colours are so vibrant, so rich. I never tire of his work - I bought my first collection by Albers more than 15 years ago and while I've sold many other artists work over the years, I've always kept the Albers.

When creating an initial vehicle design, you start with the fundamentals, which are optimized volume and proportions and followed on by surfacing and detail. There is a sense of graphic design and symbolism in a lot of my favourite art, Albers' printmaking is a perfect example."

4.) Kaufmann Desert House, Palm Springs, California

"Many of our customers are being chauffeured through cities and want to look up and be able to take in their surroundings. We felt that it was important to introduce the large glass roof so we could bring a sense of the environment into the vehicle and thus create a sense of occasion."

5.) Patek Philippe Calatrava watch

"The Calatrava particularly represents, in my view, a masterclass in simplicity and sophistication. It's as much about what it doesn't say, as what it does say. It's a beautiful thing - the notion of 'less is more' is a fundamental part of its design philosophy. Every detail on the watch is doing a job."