The Mon-Cloud Sofa.
Photo: Francesco Dolfo
Creative Mind: Patricia Urquiola
The Milan-based architect and designer channels a global array of influences into sumptuous hotels around the globe and unique, eye-catching furnishings for Cassina
Patricia Urquiola seated on a piece from her Mon-Cloud collection for Cassina. Photo: Valentina Sommariva
Patricia Urquiola’s unexpected designs command attention for their sculptural shapes, palette of deeply saturated earth tones, and commanding use of sumptuous materials. Born in Oviedo, Spain, and now based in Milan, the architect and industrial designer channels her amalgamation of international influences into in-demand hotels, such as the glorious Six Senses Rome, and furnishings like the voluptuous Mon-Cloud, billowy sofas and armchairs with Cassina, which appeal to connoisseurs seeking both high style and eco-friendly design. “My work is connected to objects, but my profession as an architect leads me to reflect on spaces and our relationship with places,” says Urquiola. “I enjoy moving between large and small scales.”
Creative influence: “I am deeply drawn to the world of contemporary art; it is both a personal and professional passion,” says the creative, who cites Milan’s Fondazione Prada and Pirelli HangarBicocca, as well as boundary-breaking talents like Olafur Eliasson, Thomas Demand, Tobias Rehberger, Marina Abramović, Paola Pivi, and Nathalie Du Pasquier, as points of reference. “I believe that art is society’s most sensitive antenna, and the best artists have an unmatched ability to synthesize ideas.”
The Dudet sofa and armchair. Photo: Francesco Dolfo
Up next: Urquiola will debut a new version of her Tufty-Time sofa with B&B Italia during Salone del Mobile in April, while at Cassina, where she’s served as creative director since 2015, she’s curating The Cassina Perspective collection, which will include some of her new products. In November, Urquiola’s oeuvre goes on display in a solo show at the Centre for Innovation and Design at Grand-Hornu in Belgium.
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2024 Spring Issue under the headline “Creative Minds.” Subscribe to the magazine.
The Canasta Sofa. Photo: B&B Italia
The Crinoline Outdoor Armchair. Photo: B&B Italia
Tufty Time Sofa. Photo: Salva Lopez. Courtesy of B&B Italia
Cover: The Mon-Cloud Sofa.
Photo: Francesco Dolfo
