On February 3, coinciding with its 37th anniversary and highlighting the company’s long partnership with B&B Italia, Luminaire welcomed esteemed designer Patricia Urquiola to its Coral Gables flagship. Effusive and incredibly engaging, Urquiola gave a presentation to an intimate group of journalists and close friends of the company at a private luncheon, while the public was invited to the evening lecture at the nearby Coral Gables Museum. Speaking to a standing room-only crowd of nearly 300 people, Urquiola’s presentations provided an extraordinary opportunity to peek into the mind of the designer, revealing her unique process of thinking and working. Approaching each project with a completely fresh perspective, she showed photographs of the craftsmen with whom she worked in the Philippines on the weaving of her Crinoline line of chairs and discussed her approach to the Barcelona Mandarin Oriental Hotel, in which she considered both the visual language of the historic bank building as well as Asian influences in her use of space.
Dozens of examples of Urquiola’s work for B&B Italia studded the Luminaire showroom, and under the building’s expansive atrium, her new Bend sofa took center stage. Additional vignettes highlighted her Tufty-Time line and Fat-Fat series. Urquiola’s outdoor furniture, including examples from the various series Canasta, Crinoline and Ravel, animated Luminaire’s second-level terrace, making it a playground of the designer’s signature use of pattern and exuberant form. During the reception, B&B Italia’s CEO Stefano Ferro spoke to guests including Cristina Barrios, the Consul General of Spain and many leading architects in addition to the numerous design enthusiasts who enter the showroom doors. Luminaire extends a special thank you to B&B Italia for its support of this event.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
