Philosophy

Patricia Urquiola has been focusing on Italian design from an early date and is very much influenced by the mentors of her past. For one, working with Vico Magistretti was an important experience in her career. Legendary Achille Castiglioni was also important in her career in that he taught her how to directly and intuitively approach a project and to develop pleasure from her work. Patricia Urquiola claims, and it is always mentioned in her interviews, that these two men were the most important guidance to where she is today, not only with theories and ideologies, but also with playfulness and perception. She says that the main reason why she is so hardworking now and so able to hop from one project to the next is because Magistretti and Castiglioni have helped her avoid style constraints and inflexibility.

Lights designed for Foscarini Caboche

Urquiola is all about flexibility and adaptability. She enjoys focusing on design of interchangeable components without using modular features. Her strong belief in good quality innovations results in pieces with a strong sense of function and practicality with a lot of freedom. Being interested in “behavior structures”, she likes to think in different scales at the same time.

Urquiola's work is about creating new ways of living. She’s not interested in the old meanings of living or traditional uses of conventional objects; she is concerned only with new and refined ways of living. Her goal is to create environments designed to encourage positive feelings and company. She loves to further reach this goal by creating design that is environmentally friendly and topping off almost everything with a fun color or graphic print.

Dinnerware designed for Rosethal and Unica home

Her designs are inspired by an array of different aspects. For example, the works of the Eame’s, the Scandinavians and Franco Albini, as historic motivation. Contemporary designers Jasper Morrison, the Bouroullec brothers, and Konstantin Grcic also inspire her. Certain designs can also be stimulated from memory or aspects of her life, sometimes emotional other times more simple.