Design Meets Wellness: Patricia Urquiola x Technogym

This partnership, which began organically through various hospitality projects, has led to the creation of dynamic spaces that blend functionality with well-being. In this interview, Urquiola discusses the evolution of her work with Technogym, her forward-looking insights on the future of home wellness and sustainable design, and the design process behind the unique Technogym Bench for the "Design to Move" exhibition.

To celebrate 40 years of innovation, Technogym invited 40 visionary creators, including Patricia Urquiola, Antonio Citterio, and Piero Lissoni, to reimagine the iconic Technogym Bench – a sleek, versatile bench that offers a complete workout with the smallest possible footprint. The result was an exclusive collection showcased at the 2024 Design Week in Milan, where the Design to Move exhibition explored the profound connection between design and wellness, style and functionality, emotion and practicality. Beyond its functional use, the Technogym Bench collection also served as an artistic expression and a symbol of social responsibility. The benches, auctioned off in collaboration with Sotheby’s and sold on technogym.com, will have their proceeds donated to UNICEF, marking a meaningful intersection of design, wellness, and philanthropy.

You can admire the products of Technogym at this year’s S/ALON BUDAPEST. In the meantime, read our exclusive interview with Patricia Urquiola! Her reflections reveal a deep commitment to integrating design, technology, and environmental consciousness in ways that elevate both everyday life and overall well-being.

Can you tell us how your collaboration with Technogym began and what drew you to working with the company?

Our collaboration with Technogym started quite organically through various hospitality projects we worked on with my studio as Technogym was working on the gym installations. This natural overlap in our work led to a synergy that was both exciting and productive. I like that their idea of wellness is holistic, focusing not only on aesthetic goals but on achieving complete well-being.

What have you been working on together with Technogym since then?

More and more people are prioritizing health and fitness even while traveling, and this is evident in some of the hotel projects we’ve worked on together, such as Six Senses Rome, Edition Rome, and Il Sereno Como. These projects highlight how well-designed spaces can seamlessly integrate with comprehensive wellness offerings, providing guests with a good experience.

Last year, we designed Technogym’s booth at ARCO Madrid, the international contemporary art fair. Here, well-being and environmental sustainability, intrinsic to Technogym’s ethos, were the focus. The project aimed to emphasize the meaning of movement and interaction through the showcase of Technogym’s iconic fitness equipment. To achieve this, we reimagined the space by using yellow translucent screens made from recycled plastic. This infused the booth with rhythm and a heightened sense of movement.

Can you describe your design process for the Technogym Bench for the Design to Move exhibition?

The Rocky bench is sprayed with Cimento, the signature material of the namesake company, known for its innovative composition comprising 90% mineral aggregates mixed with a cement binder. This distinctive coating gives the bench a highly tactile quality, a sense of materiality.

The inspiration for this approach stemmed directly from the Cimento factory, where on the tables where Cimento is applied to design pieces or surfaces, a layering of different colors, a sort of residual accumulation of all the shades used on those days, was formed. Drawing from this aesthetic, the bench is sprayed with a very tactile and rough layer of Cimento, in yellow and subtle green accents. The weights, in contrast, are sprayed with a thin layer of yellow Cimento, which is then smoothed on the surface. This approach serves as a bold disruption, challenging viewers to reconsider their notions of such a piece.

How do you foresee the future of home wellness, especially in terms of design and technology integration?

It’s all about wellness that adapts to every moment and every need. A gym that can easily transform into a living room and back again, or minimal yet highly livable spaces that maximize both efficiency and comfort. Technology plays a crucial role, integrating seamlessly to support and enhance well-being. Environmental sensors, adjustable lighting systems, and health-monitoring solutions will become increasingly common, helping to create environments that promote a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The key lies in choosing the right objects that integrate seamlessly into our daily lives.

Can you share any upcoming projects or innovations that you’re particularly excited about?

As far as manufacturing is concerned, we know that the design needs to pay ever more attention to nature in sourcing new materials. Not so much in terms of aesthetics or language, as in terms of mechanisms for self-generation, destruction, replication and growth.

Already we have bioplastics made of algae and bacteria, but we can also expect increasingly sophisticated materials, which will be conceived to self-destruct and regenerate within their lifecycles and which will be tailored precisely to our needs. The degree of specialization and the varied uses of materials will increase exponentially and I think it is very exciting.

See you soon, between 20-22, September at the Budapest Arena, where you can get personal with quality design in fully furnished interiors. Get your tickets here, and join us on Facebook and Instagram!