Patricia Urquiola

Patri­cia Urquiola is one of the most influ­en­tial voices in contem­po­rary design. Born in Spain and based in Milan, she studied archi­tec­ture at the Univer­si­dad Politéc­nica de Madrid and completed her educa­tion at the Politec­nico di Milano under Achille Castiglioni. Early in her career, she worked along­side Vico Magistretti at De Padova and later led design at Lissoni Associati.

In 2001, Urquiola estab­lished her epony­mous studio in Milan, working across product design, archi­tec­ture, inte­ri­ors, and creative direc­tion. Her approach blends tech­ni­cal sophis­ti­ca­tion with human-centered sensi­bil­ity, often combin­ing craft tradi­tions with inno­v­a­tive mate­ri­als and form.

Since 2015, she has served as the creative direc­tor of Cassina, while also collab­o­rat­ing with global brands such as Louis Vuitton, B&B Italia, Moroso, Flos, Kvadrat, BMW, and Haworth. Her work is part of the perma­nent collec­tions of major insti­tu­tions includ­ing MoMA, the V&A, the Vitra Design Museum, and the Stedelijk Museum.

Urquiola is also active in educa­tion and cultural lead­er­ship, serving on the Advi­sory Board of the Politec­nico di Milano and the Scien­tific Commit­tee of La Trien­nale di Milano. In recog­ni­tion of her contri­bu­tions to the arts, she was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts by the Spanish government.

With an intu­itive balance of inno­va­tion, emotion, and elegance, Urquiola contin­ues to shape the future of design — across scales, disci­plines, and continents.