The Swiss artist and designer of Ridley Scott’s Alien, H. R. Giger, has died aged 74, a spokesperson at Giger’s museum in Gruyere has confirmed.

He died of injuries sustained after he fell down stairs at his Zurich home.

Born in 1940, Giger was best known for his ‘Xenomorph’ alien in Scott’s sci-fi horror masterpiece for which he won a visual effects Oscar in 1980.

He studied architecture and industrial design in Zurich and was known for creating strange dreamscapes.