This Spanish-born designer has been repeatedly chosen by the specialized international press as the best designer. An exponent at furniture trend fairs, Patricia is also successful in the lighting and materials segments. A graduate of the legendary Italian design school under Achille Castiglioni, she is one of the dominant voices in contemporary design. Her work is simultaneously unpredictable and refreshing, combining feminine style and floral references with a minimalist approach: “I like to mix things up!”
Patricia Urquiola was born in Oviedo (Spain) in 1961 and currently lives and works in Milan. She studied at the Polytechnic School of Architecture of Madrid and at the Polytechnic University of Milan, where she graduated in 1989 under the supervision of Achille Castiglioni. From 1990 to 1996, she worked in the product development department of the Italian brand DePadova, a job developed with designer and architect Vico Magistretti. In 2001, she opened her own studio, where she develops design projects, installations, and architecture.
Among her latest interior design projects, the most notable include the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Barcelona; YW Retreat & Spa Vieques, in Puerto Rico; a Private Residence in Udine; and the scenography for Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea opera. She has also created furniture and product designs for the most important Italian and international brands in the world, such as: B&B Italia, DePadova, EMU, Paola Lenti, San Lorenzo, etc.
Many of her works are part of the permanent collections of MoMA in New York and other museums around the world. She has won numerous international awards, such as the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts 2010, granted by the Spanish government in 2011, and was named Designer of the Year 2012 by the German magazine A&W.
