il piano di un tavolo: considerando che
in un 1 metro quadro di pavimento entrano
fino a 100 elementi, nella superfice media di
un’abitazione (100 mq) gli elementi possono
arrivare a 10.000. Risulta quindi centrata
l’idea di un prodotto di serialità diversificata,
dove i quantitativi giustificano la cura che
viene dedicata al dettaglio e allo stesso
tempo motivano lo sviluppo di un’attrezzatura
sofisticata anche per una produzione robotizzata.
Margaritelli riconosce alla progettista la capacità
di convincimento necessaria a un importante
passo avanti dell’azienda sul terreno della
tecnologia, un avanzamento che altrimenti
non ci sarebbe stato o avrebbe richiesto
forse molto più tempo per avverarsi: del resto
Patricia Urquiola è nota proprio per aver saputo
introdurre nelle logiche trasformistiche del
design in Italia uno “spirito allegro” fortemente
legato al suo forte carattere espansivo, al suo
finishing. It wasn’t the designer who
adapted to the technique and machines, but
rather the other way round. Instead of mass-
production machining, where the material
emerges from the manufacturing chain
standardised by a single robotised procedure,
the product’s manipulation is closer to that of a
one-off piece or small-run edition. Numerical-
control processes are applied all around the
edges of the wooden boards, and each
component is reworked several times – as can
happen for the legs of a chair or tabletop.
Considering that
1 square metre of flooring comprises up to
100 elements, the average surface of a house
(100 square metres) can include up to 10,000
elements. This highlighted the suitability of
employing a diversified mass-production
process, where the quantities justify the great
attention to detail, while also motivating the
Biscuit n.05 large,
Civita 1695, Rovere di Fontaines /
DESIGN: Patricia Urquiola
Biscuit n.05 large,
Civita 1695, Rovere di Fontaines /
conceptual sketch /
DESIGN: Patricia Urquiola
LUOGO: Fundació Kālida - Barcelona
PROGETTO: Miralles Tagliabue EMBT /
Biscuit,
DESIGN: Patricia Urquiola
PLACE: Fundació Kālida - Barcelona
PROJECT: Miralles Tagliabue EMBT /
Biscuit,
DESIGN: Patricia Urquiola
Biscuit n.05 large,
DESIGN: Patricia Urquiola
Biscuit n.05 large,
DESIGN: Patricia Urquiola
— Biscuit
Patricia Urquiola
08
09
the first ring.
“Engineer, at last! We tried calling you many times to warn you, but
your mobile phone seemed to be off! Patricia cannot meet you today,
there was a problem, an emergency and she had to fly to a construc-
tion site in Belgium... She is really sorry and promises that we’ll see
you again this month.”
Aureliano felt too stupid, or upset, to tell what had happened to him.
Let alone asking for explanations. No one would believe him, but
he wanted to understand at least something. He convinced himself
to run along the street backwards, he cancelled the taxi, he rang
the door again on the street and he had himself opened.
He entered the courtyard, heard voices and noises coming from
the windows of the studio: but the rooms were not the ones
in which he had been before.
The door from which Patricia had come out and returned was closed:
and now, looking at it better with the bright lights of the courtyard
which had meanwhile lit up, he saw that it was ruined, with peeling
paint in several spots and there were unreadable names on the keys
of the bells. His breath was faster, he decided to ask for an explana-
tion and rang at the door, from which sounds of Spanish cheerfully
sung melodies came.
The secretary greeted him with a contrite air and a “I am sorry,
Engineer Camelia, but Patricia had really to leave in a hurry...
and forgive the confusion!” she apologised embarrassed
“Tomorrow a very dear collaborator of ours is getting married and
everyone is agitated in the preparation...” she added, holding back an
amused smile.
Camelia thought he was really stupid or - for a moment - he had
ended up on one of those pranks on TV. But it was not possible,
so he didn’t think of anything else other than to say:
“Don’t worry, a mishap can happen. But... A curiosity. I saw that
there is a door similar to yours, but a bit run down right next to you.
Where does that entrance lead to?”
“Ah engineer, the little door...”the secretary said in a lower tone of
voice. “Look, even for us it took a while to understand it. There are
empty rooms over there since a long time, but the owners don’t want
to give them away for any reason.
And then, we don’t even know who they are... perhaps grandchildren
of the engineer who built the building.”
“And what was the engineer’s name?”
“Gardenia? I think ... no, no, no... Magnolia?”
“Well, the name of a flower,” said the the secretary trying to guess.
“Patricia should know it... When she comes back, we could ask it to her”
“No, it doesn’t matter. So, thank you: contact us to fix a new appoint-
ment, as soon as possible, please.”
“Absolutely, we’ll call you as soon as we review the agenda with
Patricia. Thank you for your patience, engineer, have a good journey
back home”.
It was night outside. Aureliano Camelia came out of the Liberty
building and took a few more tentative steps.
A few numbers ahead, on the street, there was a bar with a small
dehors and tables. It seemed nice and sat at the farthest table from
the exit.
He lit a cigarette, asked the waitress who had immediately arrived at
the table a coffee and a glass of water. Her smile reminded him of
Patricia’s he had seen in the dream... a dream?
Suddenly he thought back to the drawings that came to life.
He looked in the bag, where he had put them: they were still there.
They did not move, they did not become reality: but also in the weak
light of the dehors they seemed still useful, original, beautiful, above
all the watercolour.
Exactly what was needed for his new business strategy.
S.C.
26.12.2018
Natural Genius
A DESIGN STORY - Patricia Urquiola
