Architecture & design / Auto industry
Imre Molnar
1951–2012
· design educator, dean and provost of the College for Creative Studies
Hungarian-born, Australian-raised designer who as dean and provost of Detroit's College for Creative Studies pushed its car-design school into the world's front rank.
- Born
Hungary- Died
California- Also known as
- Molnar Imre
- Detroit years
- 2001–2012
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Molnar was born in Hungary in 1951 and grew up in Australia, where he studied at the National Art School in Sydney before earning a master's degree at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He was design director at the outdoor brand Patagonia, ran operations at the Hauser design consultancy, and taught and led programs at Art Center, including its campus in Vevey, Switzerland. In September 2001 he came to Detroit as dean of the College for Creative Studies, the Midtown art school whose graduates include design leaders at GM, Ford and Chrysler, and later became its provost. Using his ties to automakers around the world, he built new degree programs, including master's degrees, and lifted CCS's transportation design programs to a leading position worldwide. He died of a heart attack while cycling in California on December 28, 2012, at 61.
Highlights
- Dean of the College for Creative Studies from 2001, later provost
- Built up CCS's transportation design programs
- Former design director at Patagonia
- Taught at Art Center College of Design, including its Swiss campus
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 2
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Worked here · 2001–2012
College for Creative Studies
The Midtown art and design college he led as dean and later provost.
Worked here
A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education
The CCS building that houses its undergraduate and graduate transportation design programs.