Marcus Fairs, who founded the online design and architecture magazine Dezeen, has died. The critic founded the site in 2006 from his spare bedroom, having previously been founding editor of the print title Icon. Dezeen went on to garner over three million monthly visitors, attracted by its mix of articles, picture galleries, product releases and design first-views.
Last year, the title was bought by Danish media company JP/Politiken Media Group.
To Dezeen itself, the architect Norman Foster described Fairs as ‘a pioneering and visionary journalist, Marcus was instrumental in setting a new direction of architectural journalism in the UK’. Thomas Heatherwick said that Fairs has solicited his advice before setting up the online title: ‘I tried to dissuade him and told him he should do a physical magazine instead and not go online. Very wisely, Marcus completely ignored my advice and went on to create the most successful design website in history. He was a tireless and unique talent.’
Fairs was the author of 21st Century Design: New Design Icons From Mass Market to Avant-Garde (2006) and Green Design (2009). In 2018 he co-directed Elevation, a documentary short on drones, architecture and urbanism. The same year he was awarded an honorary fellowship by the Royal Institute of British Architects and joined the jury for the UK City of Culture.
