Patricia Urquiola Hidalgo (born 1961 in Oviedo) is a Spanish architect, industrial designer and art director.

Biography

At age 22, Urquiola left her hometown of Oviedo to attend the Polytechnic University of Milan in architecture. After graduation, she went to work at the studio of De Padova in Milan where she became the head of product design. From 1996 to 2001 she worked for Lissoni Associati. She has designed products and furniture for companies including Alessi, Cappellini, Cassina, Coalesse, Flos S.p.A. (company), Kartell, and Moroso. Her Step Sofa was shown at the Salone del Mobile in Milan. Since 2015, she has been the Creative Director of the Italian furniture company Cassina. Urquiola has also started designing clothing with her first fashion collection for Max Mara in 2022. Also in 2022, Urquiola helped renovate and redesign the Haworth Hotel in Holland, Michigan.

Reception

In 2011 she was awarded the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes and the Order of Isabella the Catholic by King Juan Carlos I of Spain. The New York Times has described her as: "possibly the most lauded and in-demand industrial designer in Europe, on par with Philippe Starck and Hella Jongerius". In 2023, she was named the Interior designer of the year at Dezeen Awards. In October 2024 she and Teresa Sapey were the recipients of the inaugural Tempietto di Bramante Award. In October 2024 she was inducted into the Spanish Royal Academy of Fine Arts.

Museum collections and exhibitions

Her work has been acquired for the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Vitra Design Museum, and Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris. Her work has also been displayed in the following exhibitions: