On Thursday, June 30, 2022, Marcus Fairs died suddenly at the age of 56. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of Dezeen, which has become a reference in the field of architecture and design.
Visionary, brilliant and creative, these are the words with which the Deezen editorial team describes the man who has been their leader since 2006, when Marcus Fairs created his magazine. From the project launched from his bedroom to the current worldwide recognition, Deezen has blossomed under the guidance of the British journalist. It had indeed taken the turn of the years 2000 with the entry in the digital.
Creative journalism
Born in 1964, Marcus Fairs has had a brilliant and rich career. A graduate in 3D design, he began his career in architectural journalism writing for Building Design and Building – where he became deputy editor – while freelancing for The Guardian and The Independent.
His first creation is Icon, in 2003, an architecture and design magazine that has made a name for itself in the industry by winning several awards such as Monthly Magazine of the Year in 2005 and 2006. Marcus Fairs was then noticed by the Journalist of the Year award – in 2002 – and the Architectural Journalist of the Year award in 2004.
Dezeen was created in 2006 and attracts more than two million unique visitors each month. The digital-only platform becomes one of the most influential architecture and design web magazines. As proof, he was named in 2011 by Architectural Digest magazine to the list of the 100 Who Matter list of the most important personalities in world design.
In addition, Marcus Fairs is the first digital journalist to receive an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2017 for “the enormous contribution he has made to architecture.”
A visionary entrepreneur in design
“He will be remembered for his flow of exciting ideas, his unparalleled networking skills, his energy, his infectious enthusiasm and, of course, for Dezeenwhich he turned into a major success through his tenacity, creativity and dedication. says Tom Broughton, CEO of building and BD publisher Assemble Media Group, following the death of Marcus Fairs, highlighting his innovative vision. Marcus Fairs wanted to bring the global design community together while promoting young architects and designers. It also allowed storytelling design to enter the digital world with a platform that it was trying to keep sensitive to contemporary issues.
Marcus Fairs has made his mark on the design press by thinking of Dezeen as an enduring project, “We want Dezeen to be forever a bastion of independent journalism, a champion of architecture and design and a force for good in the world,” he explained. A task that the magazine’s editorial staff committed to carry out after his death.
Olivia Demigneux
