Casa Vicens

 

Casa Vicens is the first building designed by Antoni Gaudí after graduating in architecture in Barcelona in 1878. It was built between 1883 and 1888 in the Gracia district of Barcelona.

The house has a pronounced orientalist design, a style that Gaudi developed and perfected throughout his career. The Casa Vicens was commissioned by Manuel Vicens i Montaner, owner of a ceramic factory, and was to be the family’s summer residence.

Gaudí designed the interiors of the house together with craftsmen such as the sculptor Llorenç Matamala or the cabinetmaker Eudald Puntí. The iron fence is made from a palm leaf manufactured along with the blacksmith Juan Oñós.

In 2014 the house was sold to a private entity that carried out a complete renovation to turn Casa Vicens into a house to be visited by the public. It currently is part of the tourist route of modernism in Barcelona. The refurbishment was entrusted to the Martínez Lapeña – Elías Torres architectural studio, which was able to reconstruct missing architectural elements from old photographs, as well as eliminate features that were not in Gaudi’s original project.

Now a house-museum, Casa Vicens offers its visitors a cafeteria at the end of the garden that allows them to sit comfortably and admire one of the architectural wonders of the city of Barcelona.

This cafeteria is of contemporary design and its architects Martínez Lapeña and Elías Torres were inspired by the colours and shapes of the original house designed by Gaudí. The Nuta stools, designed by Luis Paz, are part of the furniture of this cafeteria.

Happy 2018. Mobles 114 and Marc Morro

For the New Year greetings by Mobles 114, this year we have counted on Marc Morro. This designer -„mueblista“, as he defines himself- pays homage to one of the most iconic pieces of the Classics catalog: Copenhaguen ashtray, by André Ricard.

Marc and his furnishing company, AOO, are passionate for routine and the beauty of hte little things. Little things like this minimalist design, free from adornments chosen for the occasion. In a reinterpretation which adds a surprising new use to the ashtray, signed by Ricard in 1966.

Made in a single block, this ashtray is the result of a geometric design that uses the simple repetition of a cylinder. A recipient made up of an open cylinder with another, smaller cylinder inside to support or extinguish cigarettes; the shape of the groove in the outer wall matches the rest of the ashtray and is perfectly designed to hold a cigarette. This is a hardwearing, stackable ashtray that fulfils its function with the utmost effectiveness.

This design classic is in line with the goal of Mobles 114 which, for more than 20 years, has remained in the market to preserve our country’s heritage in terms of both culture and design.

In this case, Morro has made an analogic photography of Copenhaguen, in its new use as candle holder.

Happy new year 2018!

Happy new year 2017

Jara Varela + Ramírez i Carrillo are the authors of 2017 greetings on behalf of Mobles 114:

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To celebrate Christmas days and new year 2017 to begin, Mobles 114 has counted on the photographer Jara Varela and industrial & graphic studio from Barcelona Ramírez i Carrillo. This „traditional“ collaboration is the new addition to the ones created by highlighted names such as Folch Studio, Apartamento Magazine, Eugeni Quitllet, Martí Guixé or Antoni Arola. Some of the greatest examples to celebrate the arrival of a new year or summer, two big dates on our calendar.

Jara Varela is a photographer living in Barcelona. Clear and pure look of Jara is present in Mobles 114 catalogs. For instance, she has made the pics for Classic cenicero Copenhaguen ashtray by André Ricard or Tube chair by Eugeni Quitllet.

Ramírez i Carrillo is a studio formed by Jaume Ramírez, industrial designer, and Josema Carrillo, graphic designer. The multi-task studio is able to create installations, product and branding. Among their projects we would like to outline Rojo;show at Sala Vinçon with furniture from RED; or Otto bottle rack, one of the participants of the running show Tapas. Spanish design for food.

Architecture in BarcelonaConcept: a great selection

Surfing the internet allows us to surprise and discover a lot of nice things. For instance, today we stop by the blog of Mobles 114 dealers in Poland, BarcelonaConcept, which has attracted us thanks to its section Architecture.

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Casa Bloc

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Flash Flash

The most important buildings of the last years, and the icons of the city, are highlighted on the selection. The trip guides us from the Casa Bloc, social buildings designed by Josep Lluís Sert , Josep Torres i Clavé and Joan Baptista Subirana, to the best „tortillas“ in town at Flash Flash restaurant, designed by Federico Correa and Alfonso Milà, among others.

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Mediapro building, Carlos Ferrater, Partick Genard, Xavier Martí Galí

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Auditorium, Rafael Moneo

International studios from Barcelona such as MBM Architects, Carlos Ferrater, or Pritzker prize winner Rafael Moneo are some of the authors. An interesting walk which discovers the contemporaneity of the architetonic skyline. A surprise in a city associated to Antoni Gaudi and Gothic buildings with a proposal of cosmopolitism.

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CCCB Centro de Cultura Contemporánea de Barcelona, Albert Viaplana / Helio Piñón

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Museo Picasso, Jordi Garcés

Mobles 114 has donated iconic pieces to Museu del Disseny de Barcelona.

36 objects produced for years have been chosen due to its values as icons of design. Among others, there can be found prototypes of the Pinça (1964) ice tong, or Copenhaguen (1966) ashtray by André Ricard, and also some proposals for the oil container created by Rafael Marquina, and various editions from different years from 1961 to 1990, with a special value as unique pieces of design.

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The donation includes also some prototypes of the support for two or three oil containers. Another special design is Fil lamp (1991), designed by Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza Vieira, creator of Oporto chairs (1993) too.

 

Other remarkable objects donated by Mobles 114 are Gracia chair (2006) by JM Massana and JM Tremoleda; Green chair (2011) by Javier Mariscal, wall clock Nautilus (1996) by Oscar Tusquets, and Flod stool (2007) designed by Martín Azúa and Gerard Moliné.

Mobles 114 donation has become a highlight of the product design collection for the Museum, thanks to the value in the market or as an iconic product of the objects donated. It has increased also the prototype collection, very valuable for the Museum as a first sample from designer or company and model to be manufactured.

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Barcelona Original Designs

Barcelona Original Designs is the first online platform to offer objects, furniture, lighting, accessories and classic or contemporary pieces designed in Barcelona, created by Olivia Ricard, Cristina Pujol and Silvia Cambra in order to offer a meeting point among designers, craftsmen and entrepreneurs from the city.

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Product selection shares the value of authentic, everlasting products, “which reminds us of whom, how and why it was created”, they explain. A thorough summary with valuable common nexus: Barcelona, function, ethics and aesthetics.

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Most noted objects are the ones signed by José Antonio Coderch, Miguel Milà, André Ricard or Rafael Marquina, masters of industrial design and authors of icons like Disa or Cesta lamps, and products such as Copenhagen ashtrays or Marquina oil dispensers, both belonging to Classics collection by mobles 114.

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The quickest and easiest way to get these common objects that are also true design icons: www.barcelonaindesign.com

Martín Azúa and his ideas about design

(… coming from the first part)

Knowing the „why“ and „how“ questions are essential in any creative process, what motivates you more when tackling your work?
I try not to have preconceived ideas and I am among the designers who are distracted by the process. I change a lot my opinion and sometimes target. Maybe it’s a defect, I do not know. In any case, I like to keep some creative uncertainty.

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It seems that we live in a new paradigm dominated by social changes, a revision of values and technological advances. In this changing and sometimes confusing scenario, what do you think the role of the designer should be?

I’m not dogmatic, I think there are many valid points. Right now I am very interested in working with local resources and claim a physical and technological diversity which obviously comes as new without losing the traditional. I don’t like the idea of a standardized world where products are designed and produced by machines and are made of materials that we don’t recognize.

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On occasion you said that design is a tool to make things better, not whimsical or bizarre. If design is an adaptation strategy, what is it about? And is the beautification part of that strategy?
The focus of design needs not be the design. Design is only the strategy it is just the tool. The adjective „designer“ puts us in a situation where we forget the essential and get distracted by the superfluous. Of course beauty counts, but it is a beauty that includes ethical aspects, that somehow represents our desire to be better.

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„Having it all without hardly having anything“, could you develop this statement of yours?
I don’t know what pushes us to keep more than the necessary. Having many things sometimes limits us. The free people really don’t have a dependency property. I know it’s a contradiction to be designer. But then, if we depend on something that’s worth something.

What is the space that you mostly like about a home? And with what object you can not imagine a typical day?
My favorite space has to do with light and changes throughout the day. When I shower in the morning direct sunlight comes in the bathroom and it’s great. When I eat at noon the sun comes in again and I think that light feeds me more than food. It is something fantastic about Barcelona. I think the second question refers to a special object that has an everyday but exceptional use. I designed some for an exhibition, „Artjects“ which can be viewed on my website, and we saw also at the blog.

Tapas. Spanish Design for Food, exhibition about design and gastronomy

Gastronomy is one of the highlighted attractions in our country. Spain has always been involved into raw materials of high quality, gastronomic creativity and design.

This project curated by Juli Capella, organised by Acción Cultural Española with the collaboration of the Spanish Embassy in Tokyo and Tokyo Designers Week, wants to show more than 200 hundred pieces which transmit the contribution of Spanish gastronomic culture to design, and international cuisine.

The selection consists of pieces from the smallest salt-cellar to a dinner service, furniture and interior design of restaurants, including architecture with examples of Spanish wine cellars. Moreover, the exhibition tries to enhance the enormous innovative ability of the „big names“ of Mediterranean cuisine, whose techniques have shaken up international gastronomy.

Among the chosen pieces some icons from mobles 114 catalog can be found: Om chair by Martín Azúa, oil and vinegar containers by Rafael Marquina and Ricard by André Ricard.

 

Also restaurant Jaleo, by renowned José Andrés in Washington designed by Juli Capella is present as an important project. Spanish furniture has been chosen for the interior, for instance Green chairs by Javier Mariscal.

The travelling show has stopped by cities like Tokyo, Miami, Washington DC, Seoul, Toronto, Ljubljana, Albuquerque and Guanajuato. Now it exhibits in Spain at last, at Central de Diseño Matadero Madrid. But the exhibition will be at the same time at Museo Franz Mayer in Mexico City.

All the information at the web Acción Cultural Española.

TAPAS. Spanish design for food

Central de Diseño de Matadero Madrid (DIMAD)
Pº de la Chopera, 14
28045 Madrid

Martín Azúa: beauty, nature and ethics.

The natural cycle of life, the evolution of objects or the relationships between man and his environment are aspects that Martin Azua stresses in his designs. A starting point determined in part by his origins. „In the Basque Country I think we have a special relationship with our landscape. In my case with a particular place: a beech forest in the mountains of Opakua, Álava (Spain). When I walk in the woods I feel good, everything that happens around me makes sense. In Barcelona, nostalgia makes me miss all this and I reflect this feeling on some of my projects.“

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Do your designs aspire to reproduce natural processes? Or do you prefer to re-think and explore an imaginary world?

I think we have much to learn from nature, it embodies a basic principle of economy where nothing exists for the sake of itself. Even the seemingly most capricious of flowers has a very specific function. I would like my designs to help to become aware of our belonging to a natural environment. When you’re a kid, imagination takes you to new places; with age imagination leave the way to memories.

Looking at your Luco stool, what aspects of its design are of a universally intelligible language and what other of an individual, more local language?

In their basic essence, objects of all cultures are similar but there are subtle differences that highlight an incredible diversity of responses to a same problem. The three-legged stool is basic and stable. Luco retains this primary idea but adds very contemporary aspects. Its manufacture involves a craftsman lathe and a CNC workshop. I think that’s what makes it special. Memory has been an essential ingredient in this project.

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To cherish the value of an object begins from appreciating the material used?

Yes, the material conveys much. Unfortunately some industrial processes remove features that often add value, but in the case of Luco, beech wood is clear and delicate, it has very subtle veins that stand out with the turning process and we protected the wood with a varnish that respects the silky touch of wood.

Your relationship with M114 goes back to 2006 and to the collections of chairs and stools Om and Flod, currently available in the catalog M114. How would you summarize your professional relationship with Mobles114?

It is a relationship between designers. I respect the work that JM Tremoleda and JM Masana have made over time in Mobles114. They have always had a very functional line. Their products include a discrete and somewhat timeless beauty. When talking to them there is no room for whim, the arguments are very important. I like working with them: they have clear ideas and are very demanding.

Happy 2015 by mobles 114

A formula by Martí Guixé has been the way of sending best wishes for the new year by mobles 114:

A possible translation of the formula could be:

„2015 is bigger or equal to 2014 multiplied by, brackets, ideas by rauxa (outburst) divided by seny (sanity), raised to mobles114″.

The ex-designer proposed some different ways to express the happy new year wishes, using its particular and original methods, as can be seen next:

Documentation Center at Museu del Disseny in Barcelona

Museu del Disseny is the result of merging the collections of the Museum of Decorative Arts, the Museum of Ceramics, the Museum of Textile and Clothing and the Graphic Arts Cabinet in Barcelona. It’s been the first to open its doors, whilst the Museum will be opened next December.

The Documentation Center holds more than 20.000 documents, books and specialized archives focused on different topics. Its aim is to create a richer and plural vision of design, and its relation with daily life.

The contents of the Archive are enriched thanks to the donations of institutions such as Barcelona Centre de Disseny (BCD), Associació de Directors d’Art i Dissenyadors Gràfics (ADG FAD), Associació de Disseny Industrial (ADI FAD), etc.

The center contains a Reading Room with 66 reading points. The bibliographic information service provides information about the Documentation Center, its reserves, its facilities and services, as well as assistance and advice in the search for information. Other types of requests, such as, technical consultations, dating of images or works, etcetera, are not included in this service. In these cases, the Library allows access to its documental reserves.

The Documentation Center is furnished with BBL Shelving System by mobles 114. Reading points are formed by Pey tables and Green chairs designed by Mariscal, and next to the windows there are some spaces more comfortable and relaxed furnished with Om Basic armchairs by Martín Azúa.

Museu del Disseny de Barcelona

Edifici Disseny Hub Barcelona
Pl. de les Glòries Catalanes, 37-38
08018 – Barcelona
Tel 93 256 68 00
museudeldisseny@bcn.cat

www.museudeldisseny.cat/en/doc-center/general-information
@dissenydoc
www.scoop.it/t/design-exhibitions

OPENING HOURS

Tuesday-Wednesday from 10 am to 8 pm
Thursday from 3 pm to 8 pm
Friday from 10 am to 3 pm

Barcelona Visual: artistic interpretation by Mariadiamantes

Mariadiamantes is a studio from Barcelona founded by Clara Mercader, who is the author of Barcelona Visual.

The compilation of Barcelona’s icons, reinterpreted in a plastic and colourful way, has 50 images which represent the city: from its most famous buildings and transportations, to gastronomy or daily objects related to Mediterranean way of life.

For instance, Canaletes Fountain in the Ramblas can be found, or the distinctive black and yellow taxi. Also Barcelona chair designed by Mies van der Rohe for the Universal Expo 1929 is included…

… And objects such as Marquina oil and vinegar container or Copenhagen ashtray by André Ricard, both classic design icons from Barcelona edited by mobles 114.

At Mariadiamantes web you can find the illustrations and the book, and also a collection of postcards, to send and/or receive the best of Barcelona. Highly recommended.

‚Barcelona Visual‘, una original forma de descubrir los iconos de Barcelona, por Mariadiamantes from Lunwerg Editores on Vimeo.

Artjects: exhibition by Martín Azúa in Vinçon Barcelona

„The designer is the archer aiming at the target (problem) with the desire to hit bulls eye, a place of compromise and balance between the many factors of a project. The artist is another type of archer that shoots the arrow consciously outside of the range, with the will to go and look to what’s beyond the bounds of possibility.“

With this speech, designer Martín Azúa presents his show Artjects at Sala Vinçon Barcelona,  a collection of special objects, which provide unconventional relationships with users, tell and generate stories.

The objects observed in their multiple connections, can be very revealing of how we are and how we could be. Objects have an influence on our behavior, they are active agents and not mere instruments. The rituals that govern these relationships can be as absurd as transcendent.

mobles 114 editions highly recommends this exhibition by the author of designs such as OM armchairs and Flod stool.