Spanish-born, Milan-based architect Patricia Urquiola doesn’t lack for commissions these days, and, unlike the work of many other high-concept architects, her projects tend to get constructed, envelope-pushing though they sometimes are. And when she’s not imagining covetable creations for contemporary furniture houses — including B&B Italia, Driade and Cassina, where she was named art director in 2015 — Urquiola makes headlines by designing some of the world’s most aesthetically ambitious hotels, such as 2016’s Il Sereno on Lake Como in Lombardy, Italy.
Born in Oviedo, in northern Spain, Urquiola grew up in a family that valued creativity. Everyone in the house, she says, talked and cared about design. She fondly remembers her mother going to London in the 1960s and ’70s and coming back home with a Mary Quant this, a David Hicks that. When it came time to go to university, Urquiola decided that her place was architecture school, first at the Polytechnic University of Madrid and then at the Polytechnic University of Milan, where she completed her design thesis — a felt carpet with a panel that connected to a home’s electricity source and telephone line so that you could plug, say, a table lamp and your phone into it — under the direction of legendary Italian industrial designer Achille Castiglioni.
Today, Urquiola has become a go-to when it comes to avant-garde product, hospitality and retail design, working with such blue-chip international furniture, fashion and hotel companies as Alessi, Baccarat, Salvatore Ferragamo, Kvadrat, Mandarin Oriental, Panerai, Rosenthal, W Hotels and Louis Vuitton, among many others. Her residential projects, meanwhile, though few and far between, stretch from such far-flung locations as Punta del Este, Uruguay, and Melbourne, Australia, to closer-to-home Udine, in northeastern Italy, where she designed the two-story, largely open-plan glass-and-cedar home of Patrizia Moroso, creative director of the family-owned design company that bears her last name.
Over the course of a long-term and highly productive collaboration spanning some 20 years, Urquiola has created dozens and dozens of Moroso-branded products. A chair from her 2001 Fjord line of seating, tables and poufs for the company sits in the collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and Moroso debuted (love me) Tender, her modular sofa system upholstered in jersey, during Milan’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile in April of 2014.
Find Patricia Urquiola furniture on 1stDibs.
'Caboche Plus' Ceiling Light by Urquiola & Gerotto for Foscarini in Transparent
By Patricia Urquiola, Eliana Gerotto, Foscarini
Located in Glendale, CA
'Caboche Plus' Ceiling Light by Urquiola & Gerotto for Foscarini in Transparent Designed by Patricia Urquiola and Eliana Gerotta and produced by Foscarini, the Italian lighting firm...
Aluminum, Steel
'Caboche Plus' Ceiling Light by Urquiola and Gerotto for Foscarini in Gray
By Foscarini, Patricia Urquiola, Eliana Gerotto
Located in Glendale, CA
'Caboche Plus' Ceiling Light by Urquiola and Gerotto for Foscarini in Gray Designed by Patricia Urquiola and Eliana Gerotta and produced by Foscarini, the Italian lighting firm foun...
Steel, Aluminum
$467Sale Price|44% Off
H 9.5 in W 9.5 in D 4 in
"Ice Cubes" Ceiling Light by Gaetano Sciolari for Lightolier
By Gaetano Sciolari
Located in Van Nuys, CA
A mid-century flush mount "Ice Cubes" ceiling light fixture by Gaetano Sciolari for Lightolier featuring brass plates with four thick beveled ice block glass shades. Circa 1960s, US...
Brass
Murano ceiling light by Roberto Pamio for Leucos, Italy 1970s
By Leucos, Roberto Pamio
Located in Long Island City, NY
Murano glass ceiling light by Roberto Pamio for Leucos. Made in Italy in 1970s Takes 1 Edison base bulb. FREE US rewiring upon request. FREE US Continental shipping. NO TARIFFS, Duti...
Metal
$1,280Sale Price|20% Off
H 4 in Dm 15.75 in
Ceiling Light by Carl Fagerlund for Orrefors / 2 available
By Carl Fagerlund
Located in Long Island City, NY
A Ceiling light by Carl Fagerlund for Orrefors, Sweden. Circa 1960th Textured glass with brass hardware. 6 Candelabra style sockets. Diam. 15.75". Existing European wiring , rewiring...
Blown Glass
$2,790
H 14.18 in W 13.78 in D 13.78 in
Murano Glass Flush Mount Ceiling Light by Carlo Nason for Mazzega
By Mazzega, Carlo Nason
Located in Niederdorfelden, Hessen
Elegant handblown Italian light by Carlo Nason for Mazzega in an ice glass pattern. Made in Italy in the 1960s. Design: Carlo Nason. Maker: Mazzega. Measures: height 13.8“ in. (...
Metal, Chrome
$1,899 / item
H 7.09 in Dm 9.45 in
'Light Ball' Ceiling Lamp by A. Castiglioni & P. Giacomo for Flos, 1960s, Italy
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Hagenbach, DE
Model 'Light Ball' small size Wall or Ceiling Lamp by Achille Castiglioni & Pier Giacomo for Flos, 1960s, Italy Quantity : 7 available Minimal design Very high quality. Fully funct...
Brass
Murano ceiling light by Roberto Pamio for Leucos, Italy 1970s
By Roberto Pamio, Leucos
Located in Long Island City, NY
Murano glass ceiling light by Roberto Pamio for Leucos. Made in Italy in 1970s Takes 1 Edison base bulb. FREE US rewiring upon request. FREE US Continental shipping. NO TARIFFS, Duti...
Metal
Foscarini 'Ricerca' Halogen Flushmount, 1980s, Italia
By Foscarini
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
Rare lighting art piece from the Foscarini 'Ricerca' serie in a cobalt blue tone This is the longer version. It measure 51 inches long. Solid matc...
Metal
From $1,942 / item
H 7.5 in Dm 19.75 in
Foscarini Caboche Flush Light by Patricia Urquiola & Eliana Gerotto
By Foscarini, Patricia Urquiola, Eliana Gerotto
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Like a bracelet of sparkling transparent pearls, the Caboche ceiling lamp embellishes any room with its extraordinary lighting effect, where each sphere reflects the image of the lig...
Metal
Flush Mount Ceiling Light in the Style of Caccia Dominioni for Azucena
By Azucena, Luigi Caccia Dominioni
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Flush mount ceiling light in the style of Caccia Dominioni for Azucena. Designed and manufactured in Italy, circa 1950s. Pewter plated brass, opaline glass. Rewired for U.S. Junction...
Brass, Pewter
From $2,662 / item
H 126 in Dm 19.75 in
Foscarini Medium LED Caboche Pendant by Patricia Urquiola & Eliana Gerotto
By Foscarini, Eliana Gerotto, Patricia Urquiola
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Caboche lamps transform light into a sparkling composition of transparent spheres: a design gem resulting from an amalgam of technology and creativity. Materials: PMMA, blown gl...
Metal, Aluminum
Rare ‘2045’ ceiling light by Studio B.B.P.R. for Arteluce, 1962
By Studio BBPR, Arteluce
Located in Sittard, LI
Rare '2045' ceiling light, designed by Studio B.B.P.R. for Arteluce, Italy, 1962. This highly collectible piece remains in its original condition, beautifully preserved, with wear an...
Metal, Aluminum, Brass
FLOS Clara Ceiling Light w/ Transparent Trim by Piero Lissoni
By Piero Lissoni, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
So simple, and yet, so brilliant: The Clara lamp from Piero Lissoni is an excellent example of the artist’s minimalist style and smart use of materials. The front diffuser is made of high efficiency, injection-molded opal PC (polycarbonate). The ceiling/wall fitting is injection-molded PC. The dimmable LED light source is line voltage (from 100 to 130 VAC) and can be hooked directly to a standard US j-box. Inspiration behind the design: When designing the simply brilliant Clara, Piero Lissoni drew his inspiration from one of his favorite films, Young Frankenstein...
Resin