Describing Philippe Starck using only one word is really difficult, but if we had to choose only one it would be “creator”. Starck’s is a constantly boiling mind that is just as likely found designing an everyday object as it is a mega-yacht; an avant-garde building or the interior of a palace.
Today we want to talk to you about Philippe Starck, one of the most famous designers and architects of our time and alma mater of the LA Organic project.
Philippe is a free spirit with a unique style, one of those who break the mold and do not go by indifferent, and he is also someone consistent with his way of thinking and with his values, bringing a good dose of social and environmental responsibility to his projects. Not surprisingly, his projects are used, enjoyed and exhibited in museums around the world.
EARLY STAGES
Born in Paris in 1949 and possibly influenced by his father, an aeronautical engineer, Starck studied at the École Nissim and in 1968 set up his first company, which produced inflatable objects. But this was too small for him: his way of understanding design encompasses everything, and he soon achieved recognition by creating the interior design of nightclubs in the city where he was born. His leap to international fame came after François Mitterrand himself commissioned him to renovate the apartments of the Elysée Palace (1983-84). Tokyo, Mexico City, Madrid, New York… from then on, Philippe was showered with offers to produce the interior design of hotels and restaurants around the world. In his work, Starck still maintains the essence of a place that projects groundbreaking spaces that leave no one indifferent. And he likes to party and have fun; proposing details such as a stand for apples at the Delano Hotel in South Beach (Miami) along with the phrase “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”.
FROM SPACES TO OBJECTS
As an industrial designer, Starck has contributed his particular balance between aesthetics and functionality in a multitude of objects, from a mouse for Microsoft to Samsonite suitcases, watches, sunglasses, water bottles, electrical appliances, furniture for Vitra… but perhaps his Juicy Salif juicer is his most representative piece. This creator understands design as something that should improve the daily life of people trying to offer surprise, fun or break with the routine, and has always wanted it to reach many people, hence his taste for populist projects that end up producing affordable products. His Ghost Chair deserves a special mention -one of his most celebrated works- that he designed for the Italian firm Kartell. This chair is a reinterpretation of the classic Louis XVI armchair using modern technology and transparent materials.
HIS CONTRIBUTION TO LA ORGANIC
LA Organic is another space for genius experimentation. Starck is a lover of Spain and Andalusia, he has walked every inch of our farm, he has soaked up our land and the culture of the olive tree and, with all this, he has created an unparalleled experience around oil tourism that seeks to surprise our visitor, make him reflect, find new points of view and -of course- have fun. To do this, he has designed an exterior route through our estate in which there are various works of art playing with reflections and perspectives that make the viewer a participant in his own work. When it is time to rest, the French designer and his team -with the collaboration of the renowned architect and interior designer Stefano Robotti- have left their mark on the interior design of El Cortijo, a project that maintains the traditional architecture and essence of the space intact, having introduced groundbreaker elements such as the fireplace or the spectacular staircase.
Our Greenhouse also has the Philippe Starck seal; an avant-garde, open, spacious and unique greenhouse with a bar, terraces, a space for projections… designed for events and lunches with friends, with a capacity of 200 people. But the alma mater of LA Organic and where the essence of Starck can be breathed the most will be in our Almazara-Museum –currently under construction; the work will end in 2023-. It is a daring architectural project loaded with symbols and nods to the folklore of Spain and Andalusia; a unique building, the only one of its kind in the world, raised between olive groves where our visitors will see our fruits turn into oil and will be able to learn everything about this product, the EVOO, which gives LA Organic our reason for being. If you want to know more about our Museum-Almazara, you can continue reading in this blog entry: https://www.laorganic.es/noticia/arranca-nuestro-museo-almazara/