We're sorry to hear of the death of stage designer and NHB author Ralph Koltai, who has passed away at the age of 94.

In an obituary for The Stage, Michael Quinn calls Ralph 'the most influential stage designer in British theatre in the second half of the last century. In a career spanning seven decades, he designed more than 250 productions for ballet, opera and theatre in which he wrenched stage imagery away from moribund domestic pictorialism towards a modern and often controversial abstract aesthetic championed by European theatremakers.'

Ralph's book Ralph Koltai: Designer for the Stage, published in 2004 to mark his 80th birthday, is a stunning full-colour record of his work over half a century, featuring models and production shots of over 30 of Koltai's shows interlaced with essays by and interviews with Koltai, his collaborators and fellow designers. RIP.