The Spaniard trained in architecture in Madrid, and then at Politecnico in Milan, where design imposed itself on her with a keen gaze. gentlemenPatricia Urquiola has been an indispensable figure in Italian and international design since the 1990s. Having learned the different aspects, both in terms of discipline and trade, from legendary figures such as Achille Castiglioni, Maddalena De Padova, Vico Magistretti or Piero Lissoni, she established her studio in 2001 in the Lombard capital.
A multi-tasking innovator, boldly and enthusiastically exploring new scenarios for lifestyles that respect people and the environment and are equally at ease on a large scale – architecture and scenography exhibitions (including the latest in Castiglione, in Triennale, in 2018) – only partial – furniture and thing.
Always innovative in their formal, technical and chromatic approach, his creations are published by Moroso, B&B Italia, Cappellini, Driade, Flos, Molteni & C, Kartell, Boffi, GAN, Andreu World, Glas Italia, Kettal, Haworth, Agape, CC Tapis or Louis Vuitton. And in Cassina, of course, where she has also been an artistic director since 2015. For an immersive experience of her world, nothing is better than spending a night in one of the hotels she has created, for example the Room Mate Giulia, in the heart of Milan, or Il Serino, on the banks of Lake Como.
For an immersive experience in the world of Patricia Urquiola, nothing is better than spending a night in one of the hotels she has created, such as the Room Mate JuliaIn the heart of Milan. Doctor
During the Madrid Design Festival 2020, journalist, critic and curator Ana Dominguez Siemens dedicated to him a solo exhibition – the first of its kind in Madrid -, highlighting in particular the extent of her overall curiosity – starting with ” Virtual reality of economics, politics, artificial intelligence, color theory, Anthropocene, robotics, environment, sustainable development, gender, human-machine interaction, etc. – Feed her A radical approach to projects, a way of thinking is also a way of doing it ».
a few days of Furniture Showroom In Milan (September 5-10), a distant encounter due to the epidemic, from which we emerged with a pleasant curiosity for the future. thanks a lot Patricia!
8 Questions for Patricia Urquiola:
The good life At the end of the eighties, what prompted you to come and pursue your studies in architecture at the Politecnico in Milan?
Patricia Urquiola: I began studying architecture in Madrid, but in Spain my generation felt a strong desire for freedom. Italy focused these rock icons of architecture and design published in Domus – The magazine undoubtedly contributed greatly to this attraction. And of course, there was this culture and this energy in Milan in the 80s: Memphis, Fiorucci… I did what students do today with the Erasmus program and joined the Politecnico. I prepared my thesis under the supervision of Achille Castiglioni and helped him for a year with his courses – Analog Training. There was his brother too, it was a wonderful family, open to many things. From there everything happened step by step.
Date : What does working with Achille Castiglioni, Vico Magistretti, Maddalena De Padova or Piero Lissoni mean to you, and what have they taught you?
father: Maddalena de Padova was one of the absolute references to enlightened entrepreneurship, and her studio was indeed a legendary setting in the city. Maddalena and Vico [Magistretti, qui collaborait alors avec Maddalena De Padova, NDLR]It has always been about looking at complexity and simplicity. I spent six years there and learned what is the responsibility of the release, the concept and the relationship between the technology and the commercial dimension, the culture of the company. In short, it is the matrix of Italian design. With Piero Lissoni, it was a great transition: we had a great flair for taste. He was a bit like my older brother. Then I opened my studio, in 2001, which I had never thought of doing before, and there, too, I had the opportunity to quickly meet people who, like Patricia Moroso, had never said no to me.
For an immersive experience in the world of Patricia Urquiola, nothing is better than spending a night in one of the hotels she created, such as calmOn the shores of Lake Como. Doctor
Date : What has changed over those years?
father: Digitization and globalization. It is always a question of reconciling complexity with simplicity, but projects must have world-class commercial performance. Today there is very high tension and the realization that problems must be addressed in a different way. But, above all, as of March 2020, we have lived ten years in one year. It is a very difficult moment. Difficult, but charming. The digital is complementary to reality, and the hybrid is ubiquitous. At the same time, there is a strong desire not to lose our artisanal roots.
Date : Since 2015, you have been the artistic director of Cassina – part of the American Haworth Group. How does the way it work differ from the way Brianza is administered 100%?
father: When I became the technical director of Cassina, the company was already part of the American group and Haworth’s approach was familiar to me, having worked with them before 2015. It was already clear at the time, that we are now required to work in a variety of places, office furniture For example, it can no longer be reduced to comfortable chairs or cubicles [bureau à cloisons]. Fluency is very important.
Date : For several years now, we have been witnessing cross-pollination between fashion and design. Is that what we should read about the Lud’O (Cappellini) armchair which can be “worn” in different ways?
father: I think we especially should not oversimplify the cross-pollination approach between fashion and design. Music, graphics, and visual arts, all of this has a huge impact too. for interpretation. Motivate. The ability to “put on” or “undress” the seat Ludo It gives him a permanent soul. More than fashion, the concept is life cycles, where each component that constitutes it can be deconstructed. But already, in the 90s, Vico Magistretti was interested in the zip for this reason …
Date : Personally, how did you get through these months of confinement?
father: Nobody was ready, I think. I had time to spend time with my family, to read, to cook and, above all, to understand how to live together analogously. I have learned to be braver. And more patient.
Patricia Urquiola is the Technical Director of Cassina Since 2015. She’s standing here on the Feltri armchair designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1987. Doctor
Date : How do you see the future?
father: It is difficult to talk about the future, while we are still experiencing change and much remains unclear. We have to look at this from the perspective of possibilities. Certainly, things and places should have more fluidity. Traveling as much as we are used to working seems outdated. Especially since we will make more hubs that can be a hotel and a car together, with the development of self-driving. The house is the center of attention. We spend a lot of time there, and the desire for intermediate spaces, those that allow for a smooth transition between indoors and outdoors – porch, veranda, veranda – all these are synonyms for opening up to the world. It’s really an opportunity to build a new ecological thinking by going beyond just the idea of the environment – because nature is us, Timothy Morton said so well. [philosophe écologiste, NDLR].
Date : What do you think is essential to share with the young architects and designers working with you at Studio Urquiola?
father: The difficulty is as much as the desire for transparency. I hope they see how important transparency is.
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