Featured Designer: Patricia Urquiola

Patricia  Urquiola, or as some would know her as ‘The Hurricane’ because she burst onto the design scene from as early as 1995 like a gale force wind making her mark in a very  male dominated industry. 

Patricia Urquiola was born in Spain in 1961 studied first in Madrid and then in Milan, where in 1989 she graduated from the Milan Polytechnic. Her influences in design include Italian designers like Bruno Munari, Vico Magistretti and Archille Castiglioni.  Urquiola’s discipline carries over architecture, furniture, sanitary ware, construction materials right down to everyday accessories.

Her work would be best described as inspired from everyday objects and the world around her - such as art, travel and fashion. Urquiola blends sensuous sculptural curves, concave and convex surfaces to generate user-friendly projects. Urquiola is always using unusual new materials to stretch the boundaries of design. She has worked in collaboration with manufacturing companies such as, B&B Italia, Agape, Alessi, De Padova, Driade, Moltini, Moroso, Axor, Kartell, Moltini & Co.

Below are a few examples of her work and some of my favourite pieces:

‘Canasta’ Outdoor Furniture 2007 for B&B Italia‘Husk HG3 Chair’ 2011 B&B Italia

Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona, Spain Blanc Restaurant 2009

Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona, Spain 2009: Deluxe Room and Junior SuiteMandarin Oriental in Barcelona, Spain 2009: Deluxe Room and Junior Suite

‘Smock Chair’ 2005 swivel armchair for Moroso‘Fjord’ arm chair and footstool 2002 forMoroso