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
04
05
“So what shall we talk about?” Aureliano necessarily started from
the history of his company - one of the biggest in Italy and in Europe
- which had reached success not only due to many years of intense
activity but was also set up with a rigorous method of research,
design and construction, according to standards and rather complex
regulations, almost like a construction company: with the difference
that the projects of his company adapted, they had to adapt
to the unpredictability of nature.
Patricia was enthusiastic about this landscape design concept and
asked Aureliano many questions: partly out of real curiosity - as part
of her temperament - partly due to the need to understand what
she could actually offer to that young and nice engineer, so passion-
ate about his work.
And at the end of his story, Patricia made a brief summary:
“Well, if I have understood you would like that estudiassimo
for you a kind of “prefabricated park”, a system of components...
I would not know how to call them... of elements, let’s say, in order
to better and faster realize gardens of different sizes? “
That was more or less what the engineer needed, given that the
commissions continued to increase, a little all over the world and
it wasn’t always possible to get designers to work on the entire park,
when some “islands”, even of bigger dimensions, could already
be prepared. Then Aureliano answered her, lapidary:
“Yes, I think we have understood each other”
Patricia then stood up, turned around and pulled one of the silk cords
that hung around the perimeter of the room. The curtains opened
at the same time and revealed an enormous solid wood shelving that
covered all the walls, full of large volumes, that were equal and pro-
gressively numbered, with the spine in different colours for each
of the topics covered. The shelving seemed old, while the volumes
looked like as if they had just been bound: even though a very fine
veil of dust made it clear that they had been there for some time.
“Let’s see si aqui se trova we find something suitable for us” said
Patricia smiling, as she climbed nimbly on a light ladder, which ap-
peared from nowhere, which could reach the last shelf. Aureliano did
not even have time to get up and offer himself, as Patricia had al-
ready climbed, taken one of the volumes up and began to go down.
The engineer gave her his hand to help her on the last rung of the
ladder, which was a little too high. Patricia thanked him, put her foot
on the ground, ran her free hand over the jacket and the satin trou-
sers that had just got dusty from the climb on the shelves and with
both hands bent slightly to place the volume on the liquefied crystal
table.
“Well engineer, as you have understood,” she said, tapping her hand
on the canvas cover of the volume “These are the collections of my
studies for the various projects, realized and not. There is almost
everything in it, from the first works to the last ones but also many
ideas that I had and that I could not realize, or for which the suitable
partner was not found. Do you know that in recent years we are also
doing different architectures, especially for the public and with many
outdoor spaces?”
“I know it very well Patricia, and I know you are having a great suc-
cess: that’s why I’m here with you, because I am confident about the
fact that we could really have an interesting collaboration among
research and projects.”
“…So, in this volume I collected drawings and ideas for the greenery,
and in general for outdoor spaces: including those outdoor furnish-
ings it seems I have become famous for”smiled Patricia, almost
blushing. “Yet it was quite logical, after designing so many objects and
spaces, to devote myself to studying products and solutions for out-
doors, too. When I started not much nice was available, and I really
enjoyed inventing many new types of furniture and environments.
After all, to me designing is still a bit like it was for the masters I was
lucky enough to meet - Castiglioni, Magistretti: going from one scale
to another, from the object to the building, with the same conviction
Natural Genius
A DESIGN STORY - Patricia Urquiola