Kvadrat launches Sport by Patricia Urquiola
Kvadrat is launching the world’s first upholstery textile made exclusively out of 100% ocean-bound polyester Sport – a new upholstery textile designed by Patricia Urquiola.
Sport unites a vibrant, high-tech contemporary expression with a compelling sustainability story. Tiny graphic floral forms play across its surface, infusing the upholstery with a characterful, intricate expression. Inspired by sportswear and the look of technical textiles, Urquiola gave Sport a sophisticated binding that adds tactile multidimensionality to its structure.
The colour palette derives its signature colours from the three different coloured yarns used in its construction. The design comes in a selection of colourways incorporating a scale of rich, warm and cold accents and neutral notes. These hues give the textile a bold look and enhance the qualities of the ocean-bound polyester.
Patricia Urquiola: “The colours for Sport are divided into ‘salt and pepper’ monochrome nuances, which illuminate the textile’s high-tech graphic character, and solid shades which fade its texture away.”
Sport exemplifies Kvadrat’s commitment to conscious design principles and is created in close collaboration with #tide, a Swiss- based company committed to conscious entrepreneurship and to building a global supply chain for premium second-life raw material made from ocean-bound plastic waste. They have developed an award- winning method able to transform plastic litter into a safe raw material that can be used to create high-quality durable materials. The post- consumer plastic used to manufacture Sport is collected no further than 10 km away from coastlines in Thailand, where better waste management infrastructure is needed. Sport is Kvadrat’s first textile woven from ocean-bound polyester.
Marc Krebs, Co-founder #tide: “The partnership with Kvadrat means
a lot to us: we share the philosophy that the highest standards in design and materials can be combined with important sustainable and ethical actions. Both, Kvadrat and #tide want to create a much-needed social and environmental impact that protect the oceans and supports coastal and island communities in their fight against plastic pollution”.
This means Sport offers sustainability benefits over other ocean-bound polyester textiles. These often incorporate plastic recovered much further from the sea – up to 50 km away – and typically integrate virgin polyester or non-ocean-bound recycled post-consumer polyester.
Furthermore, as the ocean-bound polyester used for Sport is collected on islands and along coastlines, it contributes to that plastic is taken out of the waters, and preventing potential waste from the shoreline reaching the ocean at a later stage.
About Patricia Urquiola
Patricia Urquiola studied architecture and design at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and completed her studies at the Politecnico di Milano (Technical University of Milan) where she graduated under the mentorship of Achille Castiglioni. She worked with Vico Magistretti at De Padova and later as head of design at Lissoni and Partners. In 2001 she founded her own studio in Milan, specialising in industrial product design, architecture, art direction and strategy consulting.
Her work is exhibited in art and design museums across the world including the MOMA in New York, the Decorative Arts Museum in Paris, the Triennale Museum in Milan, the Vitra Design Museum in Basel, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Stedelijk Museum of modern and contemporary art in Amsterdam and the Philadelphia Art Museum.
She has given lectures at universities across the world, is part of the Advisory Board of Politecnico di Milano and the Scientific Committee of the Foundation of La Triennale Museum in Milan. She was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts by the Spanish government.
About Kvadrat
Kvadrat was established in Denmark in 1968 and has deep roots in Scandinavia’s world-famous design tradition. A leader in design innovation, Kvadrat produces high-performance, design textiles, rugs, acoustic and window covering solutions for both commercial and residential interiors.
Our products reflect our commitment to colour, quality, simplicity and innovation. We consistently push the aesthetic, technological and functional properties of textiles. In doing so, we collaborate with leading designers, architects and artists including: Miriam Bäckström, Raf Simons, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Thomas Demand, Olafur Eliasson, Alfredo Häberli, Akira Minagawa, Peter Saville, Roman Signer, Doshi Levien and Patricia Urquiola.
For more information, please contact:
Helena Walfridsson
Mail helena.walfridsson@trendgruppen.se
Phone +46 73 663 76 12