Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 61

products

patricia
urquiola

profile

By Alissa Ponchione
Photography by Alessandro Paderni and courtesy of FLOS,
Moroso, and Very Wood

1

STYLE AND SUBSTANCE
A prolific Spanish designer in Milan melds
perspectives

When your name is synonymous with
the craft of design-both in terms of
functionality and beauty-it becomes
a calling card. This is true of Patricia
Urquiola.
And it's no surprise, as she learned
from some of the best. She first studied
architecture at the University of Madrid,
then graduated from the Polytechnic
University of Milan in 1989. There she
"discovered product design, thanks to
great masters that were teaching at the
university," including Achille Castiglioni,
Marco Zanuso, and Tomás Maldonado, to
name a few.
A few years later, she found herself at
a meeting with Patrizia Moroso, head of
Italian furniture company Moroso. The two
hit it off, beginning what would become the
first of many collaborations, starting with
the debut of the Step sofa line in 1999 at
Salone del Mobile.
Urquiola's work foregoes labels, pushes
the boundaries, and melds together multiple
perspectives. Though her products are
often described as feminine, she says her
aesthetic is genderless. "I'm female, blonde
with blue eyes, Spanish, living in Italy,
working in a predominantly male sector,
but those are only characteristics," she
explains. "The most important ones-talent,
sensibility, ability to work with others-are
spread equally between genders and that is
reflected in my designs."
In her recent Zantilàm seating collection

3

2

for Very Wood, Urquiola breaks down those
qualities even further, juxtaposing the
chair's curved wood profile and gentle arms
with a frame that acts as a blank canvas,
allowing designers to apply various finishes
in response to the particular environment.
Design versatility is part of her "very
rigorous" process, she says, which starts with
research "to understand the identity and the
heritage of the client, and the technologies
used in the sector." And she adapts and
evolves with each client. "My philosophy is
not to have a style," she explains.
But it's Milan, her longtime home, that
provides the backdrop for much of her
inspiration. The cultural diversity and the
creativity in fashion, art, and design that
pervade the streets, make it seem as if
nothing is impossible, she says.
Among her new product lines with
longtime partners Boffi, Moroso, and
Haworth, Urquiola has a few hotel projects
on the boards: Il Sereno, Lago di Como, set
to open in Lake Como this summer; her
first hotel in Milan, the Giulia for Spanish

1. The full, rounded form
of the modular Love (Me
Tender) for Urquiola's
longtime collaborator
Moroso offers a tailored
look with her signature
trim details.

2. Inspired by nature,
FLOS' upcoming
Serena light series
is characterized by
leaf-shaped diffusers at
the end of long arms,
evoking the pistils of a
flower.
3. The Zantilàm seating
collection for Very Wood
highlights Urquiola's
androgynous aesthetic.

company Room Mate Hotels; and the Oasia
Downtown in Singapore. She also was
recently named art director for furniture
company Cassina-a role that included the
redesign of its New York showroom, which
opened last December. In line with her
philosophy, the space is divided into different
areas, functioning less like a retail outlet and
more like a private home. Says Urquiola:
"The products have been mixed to create a
warm and inviting atmosphere where you
can imagine living your everyday life." hd
p at ri ci aurqui ola.com

hospitalitydesign.com January/February 2016

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http://www.patriciaurquiola.com http://www.hospitalitydesign.com

Hospitality Design - January/February 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - January/February 2016

Hospitality Design - January/february 2016
Contents
Online TOC
From the Editor
Behind the Design
People: CitySCENE San Francisco
People: Platinum Circle Awards Gala
Perspectives
Sketchbook
Brand Identity: Hotel RL
5 Questions for Thread Collective
Products
Profile: Patricia Urquiola
Trends: Made in America
Wallcoverings
Casegoods
Window Treatments
Special Feature: Hidden Treasures
Projects
The Durham Hotel
Quirk Hotel
The Buchanan
Shui Mo Xuan Tea House
Ad Index
Back Space
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Intro
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Hospitality Design - January/february 2016
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Cover2
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 1
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 2
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 3
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 4
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 5
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 6
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 7
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 8
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 9
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Contents
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 11
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 12
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 13
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 14
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 15
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 16
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Online TOC
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 18
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 19
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 20
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 21
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 22
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 23
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - From the Editor
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 25
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 26
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 27
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Behind the Design
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 29
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 30
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 31
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 32
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 33
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - People: CitySCENE San Francisco
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 35
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 36
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 37
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 38
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 39
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 40
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 41
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - People: Platinum Circle Awards Gala
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 43
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 44
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 45
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 46
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Perspectives
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 48
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Sketchbook
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 50
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 51
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 52
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Brand Identity: Hotel RL
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 54
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 55
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 5 Questions for Thread Collective
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 57
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 58
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Products
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 60
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Profile: Patricia Urquiola
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 62
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Trends: Made in America
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 64
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 65
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 66
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 67
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 68
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Wallcoverings
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 70
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 71
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 72
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Casegoods
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 74
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 75
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 76
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 77
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 78
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Window Treatments
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 80
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 81
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 82
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Special Feature: Hidden Treasures
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 84
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 85
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 86
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 87
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 88
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 89
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 90
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Projects
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - The Durham Hotel
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 93
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 94
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 95
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Quirk Hotel
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 97
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 98
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 99
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - The Buchanan
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 101
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 102
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 103
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Shui Mo Xuan Tea House
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 105
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 106
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 107
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 108
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 109
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Ad Index
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - 111
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Back Space
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Cover3
Hospitality Design - January/February 2016 - Cover4
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