Atlantica - 01.11.2000, Page 51

A T L A N T I C A
Many Spanish architects and designers have achieved international
status, yet industrial design does not have a long history in Spain. It was
not until the 1950s, in the city of Barcelona, that architects and manu-
facturers embarked on an active co-operation, resulting in a range of beautiful,
well-designed household furniture. In this, Spanish designers followed the
example set by their neighbours in Italy, especially Milan, the centre of Italian
design, where design and architecture were being discussed in broader terms
than ever before. Spain also looked to Scandinavia where design increasingly
united industry and handicrafts, and traditional materials were being re-
evaluated for their merits and combined with the help of new technology and
methods.
BUILDING ON TRADITION
Respect for tradition and allusions to “Spanishness” are expressed in differing
ways in Spanish industrial design, not least in the use of materials and in the
making of utensils, but also in the designers’ interpretation of local games and
dances. A recent example is the Ona clothes rack (1992), by the architects
Montse Padrós and Carles Riart, which evokes the waves of the Mediterranean
or the flounces on the dress of a señorita from Seville. In contrast, simplicity and
moderation distinguish the Marquina oil and vinegar bottles (1961) by the
architect Rafael Marquina. Oil and vinegar are symbolic elements in the cuisine
of the Mediterranean people and an indispensable part of their daily life. The
bottles are conceived as utensils with a precise function, and, as with all good
utensils or test tubes, they are designed in such a way that they can be repro-
duced in various sizes without distorting their form or proportions. The architect
made certain demands which the bottles should meet. The liquid they contained 49
Marquina oil and vinegar bottles
(1961) by Rafael Marquina.
Manufactured by Mobles 114
(Barcelona).
SPANISH DESIGN
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