Today I am feeling rather inspired and wanted to share with you an interior designer that I have looked up to and admired since I was in school. Her designs are bold yet somehow classic and timeless...not to mention the way she incorporates color into her work, I mean *swoon* she's just amazing and might I add accomplished.
Throughout this post I'll share some information regarding Patricia Urquiola's career as well as images from some of her most notable designs. Below you'll find one of my recent personal favorite designs of hers, which is a picture taken from one of her Stanzas (a private room) installations from the Elle Decor Grand Hotel project. Her color play is so intriguing to me and how she combines traditional design elements with unexpected features, like the upside down chair hanging on the wall or the emerald green abstract artwork.
Patricia Urquiola is a Spanish architect and designer who lives and works in Milan. She studied architecture at Madrid Polytechnic and Milan Polytechnic, where she graduated from in 1989 (the year I was born!!). After graduation she assisted with lectures at her school for other known architects/professors of the time, Achille Castiglioni and Eugenio Bettinelli, in Milan as well as Paris.
In 2001, she was able to open her own studio and now designs for the most important Italian and international companies, while she also has various works displayed in several museums and collections. Awards she has received include: the Gold Medal of fine arts awarded by the Spanish Government, "Order of Isabella the Catholic" awarded by The King of Spain Juan Carlos I, "Designer of the Decade" for two German magazines - Home & Hauser, and "Designer of the Year" for Wallpaper, Ad Spain, Elle Decor International, and Architektur und Wohen Magazine.
All of this information was taken from her website as well as all the pictures of her designs. Below I'll be showing some of her designs and explaining what interests me in each project.
SHOWROOMS & INSTALLATIONS
Below are pictures of different installations and exhibitions Patricia has completed throughout her career, that have inspired me in general and also in some of my own design work. Please click on the titles to learn more about each project (you will be redirected to her personal website).
This installation in Milan is unlike anything I've ever seen before! For this project, I am most drawn to the building materials and colors Patricia uses throughout her design. Everything is so unexpected, but somehow works so well together. There's something visually interesting at every turn, from the graphic stitching on the panels to the whimsical floral display on the table, this unique combination of design styles creates a space full of fantasy and futuristic color play.
These ceiling installations look like she played with lighting, dimension, and lines. Although there are several focal points in each area of the main lobby in Pitti Uomo, they are amazingly not competing or overpowering one another. The similarities between the wire-like/tubular materials used add cohesion to the design as well as a linear element that can be found all around the space. Addressing the ceiling in a design, especially in a commercial building, can instantly add depth and unexpected visual interest. It can also help add flow and a feeling or organic movement.
Patricia explains her reasoning behind the Cassina Showroom as being inspired by the "etymology of the word design", which means she wanted to take the word design, break it down and figure out how to use it in different ways. After taking the word back to it's Latin root, she discovered that design ultimately meant: "to distinguish with a sign, to give a meaning, to designate an object in relation with other things, owners, and users". This concept allowed her to assign certain meanings to specific objects and in turn use them to help guide visitors through the showroom. Learning about this project has opened my eyes to design in a fresh, new way. By stripping an element down to it's core, you're then able to explore it's true function and discover innovative ways to use them in multiple ways.
ARCHITECTURE & INTERIORS
Next, I'll be sharing some of her architectural and interior designs and how they've inspired me in my own design process and concept development. She maintains the same style that can be seen in her installations and exhibits, using bold colors, unconventional materials, and a traditional twist. Again click on the image to find out more about a specific project.
This restaurant/nightclub design combines whimsical, colorful, and natural elements to create a space that transports you to a different time or even a fantasy world. The restaurant portion does a great job of bringing the outside in, something I incorporated into my thesis project, in order to add freshness and sustainability throughout the facility. The designs are fun, unexpected and give the visitor an abundance of features to drool over...like that all violet lounge...gorgeous, glamorous, and luxurious.
Images shown above are only of the spa, however Patricia Urquiola had a part in designing the hotel rooms also. The building for this hotel is a converted convent and Patricia knew she needed to highlight the original architectural features, like the brick barrel ceiling or smooth stone walls. For her design she kept it simple and serene by mixing traditional and modern design styles. This is one of my personal favorite design strategies (combining traditional and modern) because it provides enough familiarity for a user, but also gives them something new and interesting they've most likely never seen before.
Located in Barcelona, Spain...this luxury hotel encompasses a modern glam aesthetic by using bold blacks, stark whites, and gold accents along with some splashes of color. I mean anything done in black, white, and gold is definitely something I can get on board with haha (side note: my favorite design/architectural style is Art Deco, which uses similar types of finishes)...there is just something about that color palette that gives off an expensive, luxurious, and timeless vibe. Plus, the unique way she divides the spaces, with see-thru screens comprised of geometric shapes, not only creates an acoustical buffer, but also provides privacy as well as intimacy in smaller areas. The furniture is simple with clean lines in order to draw emphasis to the actual structure and flow from space to space within the hotel.
Patricia Urquiola encompasses a lot of the elements I am drawn to as a designer. She cleverly combines architectural and design features with bold colors, unexpected surprises and classic touches. Her story, accomplishments, work ethic, and designs inspire me in various ways and throughout different aspects of my life. There are definitely some color schemes I have suggested during consultations that were influenced by Patricia's use of color.
This was a fun post to write...it allowed me to explore different ways to explain design and reasoning behind a designer's work. It is very similar to the way an artist paints, dancer's choreograph, or chef's cook. There is depth, conceptual drive, and an ultimate goal that some how benefits the people that will be enjoying the space. A top-notch designer will always include these elements and I will always try to incorporate them into my designs. Check out the Portfolio section for some of my own personal designs and creations if you haven't already!
Thank you all for reading!!