Patricia Urquiola was born in Oviedo, Spain in 1961 and studied architecture and design at the Madrid Polytechnic. She moved to Milan to conclude her studies at the Politecnico di Milano, where she graduates with Achille Castiglioni. She then works for Eugenio Bettinelli and Achille Castiglioni in Paris and in Milan, with Vico Magistretti at DePadova and later as head of design for Lissoni Associati. In 2001 she opens her own studio that works on architecture, design and installation projects.
Among her most famous architectural works there is the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Barcelona, Das Stue Hotel in Berlino, the spa at the Four Seasons Hotel in Milano, Room Mate Giulia Milano and the Sereno Hotel in Como; showrooms and installations for Gianivot Rossi, BMW, Cassina, Missoni, Moroso, Molteni, Officine Panerai, H&M, Santoni and the concept for Pitti Immagine in Florence. She designs for some of the most important Italian and international brands such as Agape, Alessi, Axor-Hansgrohe, B&B Italia, Baccarat, Boffi, Budri, Cassina, DePadova, Driade, Ferragamo, Flos, Gan, Georg Jensen, Glas Italia, Haworth, Kartell, Kettal, Kvadrat, Listone Giordano, Louis Vuitton, Molteni, Moroso, Mutina, Rosenthal and Verywood.
Some of her work is showcased in major art and design museums, such as the MoMA di New York, the Musée des Arts decoratifs in Paris, the Museum of Design in Munich, the Vitra Design Museum in Basel, the Design Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Stedelijk in Amsterdam and the Triennale a Milano.
Patricia Urquiola has been a guest lecturer at various universities, such as Bocconi University and Instituto Marangoni in Milan, Harvard, Domus Academy the Royal College of Arts in London, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and obviously the Politecnico di Milano for which is also part of the advisory board.
She has received the Gold Medal of the Arts and the Order of Isabel the Catholic by His Majesty The King of Spain Juan Carlos I, “Designer of the Decade” from two different magazines in Germany, “Designer of the Year” from Wallpaper, AD Spain, Elle Décor International and Architektur und Wohnen Magazine. Patricia was the ambassador for the Milan Expo in 2015. She is the art director of Cassina since 2015.
