"From spoon to the city" Massimo and Lella Vignelli dixit ......and I totally agree.
I don’t understand setting boundaries between the different fields in design. Architecture, graphics, wayfinding, product or urban design, interiors…...everything is Design and everything points at the same direction, improve people’s life, make it easier, more beautiful and happier. Functionality, aesthetics and emotion are 3 of the components I try always to be present in my job. Commitment, collaborative spirit and humor, lots of sense of humor is my contribution to the teams I work with.
My experience ranges from architecture, interior design, exhibitions, furniture, signage, sculpture and artistic interventions, to urban environments. Always seeking an artistic approach that highlights the character and identity of each project. That flexibility is the result of nine years involved within the team of Estudio Mariscal, a multidisciplinary office that works design into all it’s facets and whose spirit is: “First surprise, then fascinate and finally convince.”
Sinking into cities, walking them and living them is one of my passions. Travelling around and writing about them, one of my interests. You can take a look to my ideas at Urban Living Lab (urbanlivinglab.net) an on-line platform that talks about territory, cities and its citizens.
My nomadic way of life has bring me to Brisbane, Australia, where I have discovered what is Wayfinding design and the weird australian breakfast with Vegemite.
Now I am back in Spain moving between Barcelona and Madrid.......next step, who knows?!
Projects
- A new look for "Les Glories" commercial mall in BarcelonaGlorias square and its surroundings is one of the hot spots now in Barcelona experiencing lots of changes in the last years and probably one of the most important challenges the city of Barcelona has to tackle today. The opening of Diagonal Av, the creation of the 22@ District, the new Gran Via Av. are some of the projects that are transforming the character of this node within the city. Landscape is changing, vitality is raising up and therefore new public is arriving. The Glòrias commercial ma
- New H&M flagshipstore in BarcelonaThe new H&M flagship store is a global Project where Estudio Mariscal has been in charge of the architecture, interior, furniture and lightning design, as much as the signage and visual identity. We have created a shocking space full of thrill and surprise where people can feel comfortable and the garments find its place. Design at the service of the store. A fresh pop language lives together with the majestic spirit of the building. The contrast between the ancient and the new style is one of t
- “Drawing Life” Mariscal exhibition at Design Museum, London“Drawing Life” takes a look at the work developed by Javier Mariscal and his Studio during the last years. A multidisciplinary experience that includes Graphics, Visual identity, Architecture, interior and product design, Sculpture, even film animation. From sketches to illustrations going through artistic interventions the exhibition delves into the personal World of Javier Mariscal. A story related through his drawings. * My role in this project involved the translation of the artist ideas into feasible and built up interventions to be implemented in the space of the museum. Manage the relationships with the client (in this case the “Design Museum”) and coordinate the different teams working on the assembly as well as the dismantling of the exhibition.
- A new look for "Les Glòries" commercial mallGlorias square and its surroundings is one of the hot spots now in Barcelona experiencing lots of changes in the last years and probably one of the most important challenges the city of Barcelona has to tackle today. The opening of Diagonal Av, the creation of the 22@ District, the new Gran Via Av. are some of the projects that are transforming the character of this node within the city. Landscape is changing, vitality is raising up and therefore new public is arriving. The Glòrias commercial mall has to adapt itself to the new circumstances, get back its urban character and become part of the city as much as part of the neighborhood. In this context the client asks for a new visual identity that reflects the urban spirit and this air of renovation. This identity will be developed through graphics and singular elements, which are part of a new environment design in line with the architectural proposal. Estudio Mariscal sets out a new urban landscape based on a conceptual language. Colors and textures overlap the abstract lines that jump from the graphics to the space giving shape to totems, canopies, sculptures, floor tiles and all the group of singular elements. The sculptures play a key role into this scenario. Placed at strategic points such as the entrances, the central square or the crossing point of the two avenues are part of the wayfinding strategy and a clear example of the abstract language transformed from the graphics to volume in the space.
- Prototype wood house in Yokohama, JapanJapan, a different mindset: This house, now built up in Yokohama, will never be occupied by a young couple with or without kids, a retired husband and wife or a business woman with a tight schedule and a big wardrobe. This is a prototype house built by a Japanese real state agency to showcase a new concept design within its catalogue for potential clients. May sound weird in an occidental culture but it’s a very common practice in Japan where those who dream about living in a detached house with garage and backyard provide their own plot and get in contact with the agency that better matches its expectancies. As a consequence the process of buying a house becomes something similar to buying just a product, associated to standard solutions but with the possibility to adjust the original concept design to your own needs. This mindset will affect the process in all its stages, from the architectonic project or the making of the prototype to the sales method, the adjustment of the project to the client requests and finally the construction at the specific site. The briefing: The briefing we receive is concise, a Mediterranean house in Japan built in wood!! After the first shock and spending a couple of weeks in the Land of the Rising Sun things seem to be clearer. We approach the eastern way of life, get inside the habits of Japanese people and understand the method described previously. We decided to start with a strong concept design that provides character and identity and that will remain unaltered throughout the process of adjustment to each client needs. The Mediterranean recalls the sound of the sea, the salted taste, the smell of the pine trees, all of them details that obviously we cannot find in the outskirts of Yokohama. But it means also sun, light, shadows and fresh air (or suffocating air). A courtyard, a traditional element in the Mediterranean architecture, will be our central piece. We design a house that transmits intimacy, which is difficult to reach in the dense pattern of Japanese cities, and at the same time enjoy the environment. We aim for the “exterior” to sneak inside and the “interior” to escape outside. We find big terraces or little balconies, covered by shadows or sunbathed, entries protected by lattices, exterior corners where to enjoy a summer meal and the courtyard as the core element surrounded by the rest of the house. The courtyard at the core of the house, protected from unwanted viewings, becomes the center of the ground floor offering natural light, air and transparency. Crossing ventilations and perspectives offer a perception of the space as wide an unique giving an image far away from the classical tiny proportions of the Japanese architecture. Le Corbusier defined the house as the “Living Machine” we prefer to feel it as the place to enjoy life.
- Environment design for Happy Harbour precinct in Shenzhen, ChinaPrecedent history Estudio Mariscal was asked to participate on the project through the environment design that could transmit a new atmosphere and give character to a new commercial space at the city of Shenzhen. We have created a bright and fresh language that reflects the playful spirit of Happy Harbour and lives together with the architecture. The site is divided in two areas of mixed uses where we can find a commercial mall, cultural facilities, residential buildings, offices, hotels or even an Imax theatre. Bars, cafeterias and restaurants are also part of the offer. The visual identity proposed by Estudio Mariscal tries to fit together all the diversity of activities through a unique language clear and legible at first sight that will be the guideline through interior and exterior spaces. Inside the commercial mall Two interventions halfway from architecture to sculpture that will be placed at strategic points inside the commercial mall. These will appear as reference points, wow effects that will catch the attention of the customers, give rhythm and offer a different approach to the shopping tour.
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Work history
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Wayfinding DesignerDot Dash
- Brisbane City, AustraliaFull Time
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Architect & designerEstudio Mariscal
- Barcelona, SpainFull Time
As part of the team Mariscal my experience embraced the space from graphics to architecture, filling the gap between creativity and technology, with a strong knowledge of the process that leads you from the graphic concept and identity to the implementation in the space. I have specially worked on projects related with interiors or urban environments participating in all the scales of the process from the strategy to the details. That has given me a wide perspective and flexibility to move between different disciplines such as design of interiors, exhibitions, sculpture or artistic interventions, signage & environment design. As a result I understand design as a global practice where all the scales and disciplines are involved focusing on human experience.
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Skills
- Architectural Design
- Environment Design
- Wayfinding
- Art Design
- Design Strategy
- English
- French
- Italian
- Spanish
- Exhibit Design
Education
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12 hours courseCasa Encendida Cultural Centre
- Madrid, Spain
Adobe Illustrator
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24 hourse courseFactoría Cultural Matadero
- Madrid, Spain
Web design course HTML & CSS
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