October 7, 2026 | PEOPLE
PATRICIA URQUIOLA
“We must rebuild a new ecological thinking”
words Onur Baştürk
portrait photos Marco Craig & Nicola Carignani
product photos Leonardo Duggento
She believes that a good project is always shaped through sharing. When it comes to sustainability, don’t get hung up on the popularity of words, she says. Her main motto that I like is this: Innovation cannot be made without stubbornness! Famous designer Patricia Urquiola, beyond all her “bests” is also very sincere.
But we can’t do without counting those “bests”: among the newest places designed by Urquiola, who opened her own studio in 2001 with some of her works exhibited at MoMa in New York and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, are the jewelry museum Museo del Gioiello in Vicenza, Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona, Hotel Das Stue in Berlin and Hotel Four Seasons Spa in Milan. Listing the brands she has made designs for so far is like a cool parade: Agape, Alessi, Axor-Hansgrohe, Baccarat, Boffi, Budri, De Padova, Driade, Flos, Gan, Georg Jensen, Glas Italia, Haworth, Kartell, Kvadrat, Listone Giordano, Louis Vuitton, Moroso, Mutina, Rosenthal and Verywood.
I read in an interview that living together is one of your fundamental principles and that you believe that a good project is always shaped by sharing. Based on this, I understand that your design process and your perspective on life are based on “sharing”. Has this always been the case or has it evolved over time with experience and age?
I’ve always loved teamwork. Both in the group projects I did during my university years and in Studio Urquiola, which I see as a “community studio”. I love working side by side with my team and clients, constantly exchanging ideas. It’s very important because every phase of design is a result of discussion and dialogue. After all, every company has its own history, heritage and language which I respect and try to reflect in the project.
I read in an interview that living together is one of your fundamental principles and that you believe that a good project is always shaped by sharing. Based on this, I understand that your design process and your perspective on life are based on “sharing”. Has this always been the case or has it evolved over time with experience and age?
I’ve always loved teamwork. Both in the group projects I did during my university years and in Studio Urquiola, which I see as a “community studio”. I love working side by side with my team and clients, constantly exchanging ideas. It’s very important because every phase of design is a result of discussion and dialogue. After all, every company has its own history, heritage and language which I respect and try to reflect in the project.
The way we live life is constantly changing. Especially now we are entering a new era with artificial intelligence. I would like to ask you as one of the generations
that has seen the development of the internet: From the perspective of a designer and architect, where do you think the world is evolving?
I don’t have a bad opinion about the evolution of technology, I use it a lot in my work. I am actually very curious about the opportunities that the virtual universe opens up for the world of architecture and design. This is always a topic of ongoing conversation in my studio, with clients and with colleagues. I think AI performs best when designed as a supplementary tool, rather than a replacement for us. Our intelligence and our skills are very different. Technology works best as a partner and support. But I believe it is not just a question of knowing how to use digital means, but of reflecting on how one can adapt to them. And vice versa.
DON’T FOCUS ON THE WORDS AND THEIR POPULARITY
“Sustainability” has become so popular that do you think the word is sometimes used just because of its popularity?
Rather than focusing on words and their popularity, as Timothy Morton suggests, I believe we should focus more on rebuilding a new ecological way of thinking. And to succeed we must go beyond the environmental apocalyptic thought in simplicist terms. We need to consider this ecological thought as the shadow of an idea not yet thought, that is carried by other ideas until nothing remains halted by his presence. Design must more and more open up to other conversations and disciplines. We need to design in the optics of upcycling, we need to enhance the beauty of regeneration. Nowadays, a designer must pay attention to the durability of not only objects but also projects. We must use and interpret materials better, keeping in mind a clear concept of circularity. We should focus on the value of objects that permeates over time and generations, not on their first use. For this, we need to learn more about designing! When we start a project we must think about the product’s end of life and how it can be disassembled and reused at the end.
One of the highlights of Mr. Loveland, the new improved version of the Lowland you designed in 2000, is sustainability. Can you tell us about this feature of Mr. Loveland?
Improving existing versions of the products is a sustainable approach. The aim of the improved version of the product is to increase the value of the existing one by making it compatible with the modern lifestyle. This also ensures that each product becomes something timeless and lasting. The new composition I made with Moroso in the 2000s, which fits elegantly into the original concept this year, has been updated with upcycled materials. The seat and back were made softer and the steel tubes were replaced with solid wooden bases. This increased the architectural quality of the series by preserving its uniqueness both alone and in the composition.
CABOCHE’S INSPIRATION IS A BRACELET FROM THE 1930’S
The “Pheaby” chair you designed for Moroso was inspired by Greek mythology. Can you tell us about the design and functional features of Pheaby?
The name Pheaby comes from Artemis, the goddess of hunting and forests in Greek mythology, also known as the goddess of waxing moon. Her epithet Phoebe was a counterpart to the name of her twin brother Phoebus, or Apollo the sun god. This duality was of inspiration for the chair’s design, which combines together elements of artisanal craftsmanship with industrial thinking, resulting in a structurally efficient piece.
The legs resemble a carpenter’s trestle rather than a traditional chair, supporting a softly- rounded seat that lacks sharp edges. This design represents the waxing moon shining through the trees, embodying the concept of using the unexpected to create comfort and usability. The Caboche you designed for Foscarini has a story related to Istanbul. Can you tell that story?
For the lamp Caboche I took inspiration from an object purchased during a trip, a Bakelite bracelet from the 1930s. The name comes from a technical term used to indicate one of the best-known cuts for diamonds and precious stones.
