Emiliana Design Studio

Background

Emiliana Design Studio is a Barcelona design practice run by Ana Mir and Emili Padrós. The studio's page says it was founded at the end of the 1990s, soon after the two completed their MA in Design at Central Saint Martins School of Art & Design in London. Its address is Street de la Llibertat 5, Barcelona, Spain.

Ana Mir studied Fine Arts at the Polytechnic University in Valencia and then Industrial Design at Central Saint Martins, with a scholarship from IMPIVA. She also collaborated with the architect Oscar Tusquets before the studio began. Emili Padrós studied Industrial Design at the Elisava Design School in Barcelona before the same London master's degree. Both teach, at Elisava and at the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Barcelona, and Padrós sat on the board of FAD (Fostering Arts and Design) between 2001 and 2005, where he took part in organising the Year of Design, Barcelona 2003.

Signature Style

The studio describes a multidisciplinary approach that lets it work across product design, art direction, space design and design concepts. In its own words it takes on projects that require "a certain degree of challenge" — an industrial product, a unique piece, a space or an exhibition — with generosity, enthusiasm and technical rigour.

It lists the aspects that recur in its projects: the weight of the concept in the creative process, research into historical and socio-cultural context, experimentation with materials, attention to detail, exploration of new typologies, the active involvement of the user, a search for a poetic gesture and a particular sense of humour.

Notable Works

The studio names several projects alongside its awards: the Naoshima Stool (Red Dot Product Design Award, 2016), the Collector Lamp (Silver ADI-FAD Delta Award, 2005), the Goose Chair (Silver ADI-FAD Delta Award, 2022), Garbet (Gold ADI-FAD Delta Award, 2020, and a Catalunya Ecodesign Award mention, 2021) and Corners (Gold ADI-FAD Delta Award, 2024). Earlier recognition includes the 1st Prize in the Domus-Boeing Business Jet International Competition for "The Flying Carpet" (1999) and a Temporary Architecture FAD Award for Pedrera At Night (2001).

Its client list includes Kettal, Vibia, Nanimarquina, Figueras, Escofet and Ekobo, as well as cultural institutions such as the CCCB and La Pedrera.

Legacy

The studio's work has been shown in exhibitions in cities including New York, Milan, Turin, Paris, Madrid and Tokyo. Some designs are in the permanent collections of the FNAC (Fonds National d'Art Contemporain) in France, the Museum of Art of Indianapolis and the Museum of Design of Barcelona. Ana Mir and Emili Padrós took part in "Design and the Elastic Mind" (2008) and "Safe Design: Takes on Risk" (2006), both shown at MoMA in New York. The studio also thanks a long list of designers who have contributed to its work over the years.