History
DAE, Diseño Ahorro Energético, was founded in 1984, but its history goes back very far and is pretty much linked with its Co-founders career, Leopoldo and Luis María Milá. They both belong to the small group of Spanish industrial design pioneers in the 1950s. They have strongly contributed to the development of this business, thanks to icons such as the Impala and COTA 247 motorbikes (COTA 247 ranking 7th among list of 100 best designs of the 20th century), both designed by Leopoldo Milá, or the Capilla Chimney, created by José Antonio Coderch, Alfonso Milá, Federico Correa and Manuel Valls, which is still nowadays a classic item among DAE chimney range.
The vocation to respond to new urban trends and concern for sustainable development led both designers to set up DAE. They initially started fitting solar panels, thus they began to sell chimneys, street furniture and outdoor lighting. This was the beginning of a company destined to lead the street furniture design business.
At the beginning of the 90s, DAE grew, prestigious and vanguard designers joined the company. Thanks to its creative effort, DAE created such well-known pieces as the Tronic column, by Antoni Riera, the Tats bench by Taller Design (Ricardo Bofill and Marta Vilallonga), the Koro bench (Patxi Mangado), the Beiramar series (Guillermo Vázquez Consuegra) and revolutionised the public lighting sector with its Solar Pole, designed by Leopoldo and Luis María Milá, the first photovoltaic column that is lit 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Today DAE in the new millennium continues to work focused on the well-being of all citizens to create more attractive and welcoming areas.
