Patricia Urquiola

The architect and designer Patricia Urquiola was born in Oviedo in 1961. She studied at the Facultad de Arquitectura in Madrid from 1979 and later at the Polytechnic University of Milan where she wrote her thesis in 1989 under the direction of Achille Castiglioni. She became the assistent of Castiglioni and Bettinelli in Paris. Between 1990 and 1996, Urquiola was the Product-Development Director at De Padova. During this time she designed her first creation. Later she specialized in interior design for public spaces and worked together with the architects de Renzio and Ramerino. She led a managerial position at Lissoni Associati before founding her own studio in Milan in 2001.

Urquiola's style stands for a creative approach to design elements and for uncommon combinations of styles and materials. It is obvious when looking at Smock , her famous seat characterized by a formal language combining luxurious opulence with a clear basic concept. The Caboche suspensions produced by Foscarini resemble bead bracelets and are her best-known designer lights. Her work is displayed in famous museums like the MoMa in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Vitra Design Museum in Basel. She was awarded numerous design prizes and is now a jury member within the field of design. She received the Orden de Isabel la Católica by the Spanish King Juan Carlos I and was awarded the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes (Golden Medal of Merit in the Arts) by the Spanish government.

Photo: @Stefano Galuzzi

Patricia Urquiola: Popular Lights & Lamps Collections

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