Designer on The Rise

Innovative material use is strength of Italy's Patricia Urquiola

One of the most acclaimed designers at last spring's Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan was Patricia Urquiola, a Spanish-born and -raised architect and designer who is now based in Milan.
Like most who excel in their work by paying attention to the fundamentals, Urquiola's strength is her affinity for materials and her great willingness to experiment with their application. This latter quality is perhaps why she has been based in Italy for more than a decade. Since the second half of the 20th century, most would agree that the Italian design industry has rarely shied away from technical and technological innovation.
Urquiola's client list includes top players such as B&B Italia, Kartell, Molteni & C and Moroso. For a designer known for her experimentation, Urquiola's relationship with B&B Italia seems surprising, given the venerable company's preference for low-key luxury designs by the likes of Antonio Citterio. They appear to be willing to give Urquiola some creative space, however.
The designer's Lazy chair and chaise lounge for B&B Italia, showcased at the 2003 Salone, is minimalist in its execution but its support is made of an unexpected material - industrial grade netting sourced from a German manufacturer. "I like chairs that have character," Urquiola says, "that can be used in a relaxed way." The relaxed Lazy, then, provides an effective counterpoint to B&B Italia's more serious designs. Her Lens table, with its kaleidoscope-like surface, adds another element of whimsy to the Como company's product line-up.
She has also done a lot of work for the manufacturer Moroso. Working with a steel structure and polyurethane foam seating, Urquiola has created lines such as the Lowseat and Fjord for the Udine furniture maker. Lowseat is startling with its unique open back support and Fjord seems a deft homage to the best of Danish modern design.
Industry insiders must have been expecting big things from Urquiola. After earning her architecture degree in 1989 from Madrid Polytechnic, she served as design legend Achille Castiglioni's assistant during a two-year stint at Milan Polytechnic. Following this, Urquiola teamed with the equally legendary Vico Magistretti on a series of designs for the manufacturer De Padova.
More recently, Urquiola collaborated with Eliana Gerotto in a project for the Foscarini lighting company. The designers' Bague lamp makes innovative use of silicon resin and its open-ended form recalls the Lowseat.
If Urquiola can build on the momentum gained at the Salone, there is little doubt that her innovative work will soon find an even bigger audience.

Publication Date: 2003-11-16
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=3352