PATRICIA URQUIOLA

ARCHITECT + DESIGNER

Patricia Urquiola

Patricia Urquiola’s eclectic approach to product design and architecture has established her as one of the key figures in contemporary design. One of the few women in the highest ranks of the field, Urquiola’s portfolio of architectural projects and product designs is as diverse as it is intensely personal – from a house for Patrizia Moroso, to the interiors of boutique hotels, to industrial design, and with products that include chairs, watches, and cutlery.

 

Since the opening of her own design practice in Milan in 2001, Urquiola has taken on an ever-expanding number of projects, and has worked with all the great international design houses, including Moroso, De Padova, B&B Italia, Bisazza, Alessi, Driade, and Flos, to name a few. She has designed products for BMW and Louis Vuitton; installations for Missoni, Cartier, Swarovski, Officine Panerai, and H&M; properties for Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, and Marriott hotels; and the main pavilion at Florence’s Pitti Uomo.

 

Studio Urquiola is frequently asked to design not only objects and architecture, but also to think about the future of mobility, workplace and production cycles. Creating links between craftsmanship and industrial research, brand heritage together with innovation and technology, Urquiola drives companies she works with to upcycle once-waste material and tries to re-image entire processes leading them to change, evolution and innovation.

 

A two-time Wallpaper* ‘Designer of the Year,’ Urquiola’s work is widely known to be playful and poetic, yet pragmatic and functional, a creative combination that is the magic behind her work. She comes and goes through conventional time – rethinking, reinventing, and creating anew. The effect is a powerful reminder of the past and exploration into the now, always creating a new experience for the user.

 

Urquiola’s distinctive works straddle the boundary between architecture and design, the product of a rigorous, interdisciplinary education. Her products and spaces have won her acclaim for combining a bold, passionate imagination with an innate practicality. Drawing inspiration from historical precedent, her designs are often characterized by their clear lines and formal simplicity, and their irrepressible sensuality.

“Possibly the most lauded and in-demand industrial designer in Europe.”

-The New York Times
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SELECTED WORKS

Louis Vuitton Objets Nomades Installation
[PRIVATE FOREVER] Louis Vuitton Objets Nomades Talk
Louis Vuitton Objets Nomades Installation

“I wanted to create a mesmerizing desert landscape, a kind of surreal presentation growing from formations and fossil-like structures that bloom together with the Objets Nomades collection.”

-Patricia Urquiola
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Palaver Chair for Louis Vuitton
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Il Sereno Hotel
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Il Sereno

“What guests see from the view – the water, stone, greenery or boats – is reflected in the interiors of the hotel. I have tried to integrate the identity of the place in a contemporary way.”

-Patricia Urquiola
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Il Sereno Penthouse Suite
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Il Sereno Penthouse Suite

“Inside, there are paradoxical elements of simplicity juxtaposed with opulence – this is something that is at the core of the Sereno Hotels brand and which is at its maximum expression here.”

-Luis Contreras, Owner, Il Sereno
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Il Sereno Penthouse Suite
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Il Sereno Penthouse Suite
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Architexture x Budri

“The Architexture Collection caught our collective eye for its minimal and linear shapes.”

-Design Milk
Sixième Sens Cartier Installation
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Sixième Sens Cartier Installation

“Exploring the mind of Patricia Urquiola offers many surprises, among them, discovering the unexpected themes that feed her voracious curiosity: virtual reality, economy, politics, artificial intelligence, the theory of color, the Anthropocene, robotics, ecology and sustainability, gender issues, man and machines, and so on.”

-Ana Dominguez Siemens, Curator, ‘Nature Morte Vivante’
Sestiere x Cassina
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Sestiere x Cassina

“We created a kind of rhizome, or what we call ‘the Castiglioni mind,’ a sort of map, a geography, where you can get ‘in his brain’ and follow different parts of his thoughts.”

-Patricia Urquiola
A Castiglioni
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A Castiglioni

“Rather than presenting it as a linear retrospective of Castiglioni’s work, Urquiola and Sala have infused the show with the kind of playfulness and humor that those close to Castiglioni remember him best.”

-Wallpaper*

“Patricia Urquiola has been able to make my dream come true – not only is she a huge talent, but she understands the Missoni DNA and how to bring it to life.”

-Angela Missoni, Chairman and Creative Director
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Missoni New York Boutique
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Missoni New York Boutique

“The IGNIV Bangkok interior architecture is a cocoon, in which colors and light play gently with the volumes to give a feeling of coziness.”

-Patricia Urquiola
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Almendra x Flos

“Nature is just the best example of modularity.”

-Patricia Urquiola
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Almendra x Flos
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Almendra x Flos
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JW Marriott Hotel Lounge
BMW Welt: Progressive Luxury Meets Creative Excellence
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BMW Welt: Progressive Luxury Meets Creative Excellence

“Urquiola creates exquisite products and luxurious spaces – but always with a warm heart, a central thread of humanity and a personal narrative.”

-Adrian van Hooydonk, SVP of Design, BMW Group
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Four Seasons Milan Common Areas
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Four Seasons Milan Common Areas

“Urquiola’s renewed spaces artfully balance a fresh new style while preserving the Hotel’s timeless allure and sophisticated beauty.”

-The Four Seasons
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Four Seasons Milan Spa
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Four Seasons Milan Spa

“Virgil and I have always wanted to collaborate, and we thought that Tessabit was a great opportunity to do so. The project has come together very naturally.”

-Patricia Urquiola
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Off-White x Tessabit
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Off-White x Tessabit

"The new project is different. It is an installation that does not show architecture, and its structure, like last year: it is rather a scenography, a story, a narration that plays in a different way with the space.”

-Patricia Urquiola
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Venus Power

“We all come from Venus. If everyone – men and women – considered and embraced every aspect of themselves, we could add more dimension and color to the way we approach everyday life.”

-Fabrizio Cantoni, CEO, cc-tapis
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Venus Power
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Venus Power
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PUBLICATIONS

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'Time to Make a Book'
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'Time to Make a Book'
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'Time to Make a Book'
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'Time to Make a Book'
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'Time to Make a Book'
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'Time to Make a Book'

PATRICIA URQUIOLA