NHOW MARSEILLE BY PATRICIO MIQUELIN
The invisible seal
The architect and designer Teresa Sapey reveals for Spaincontract some of the ins and outs of her studio’s work,
from which she has developed hospitality, retail, product design projects and even car parks that have sometimes
have become event venues.
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Among my favorite architects, Gio Ponti has
had a huge influence on my training. I have
always felt identified with his way of understanding
architecture and design as a whole:
nothing is small enough not to deserve the attention
to detail of a professional.
Regardless of whether we are talking about
a hotel, a restaurant, a shop, a `pop up´ or
a residential project, what clients look for in
our design studio is that we help them develop
their own identity that then allows them to
differentiate themselves from the competition.
A unique experience that adds value, and
a system that allows you to evolve over time
in the most efficient way possible, tailored to
your needs.
An extension of the client
I always say that our strength is to listen actively
to the needs, concerns and desires of our
clients. We work as an extension of their team
and in a very collaborative way. No one better
than the client himself to tell us what the
space will be used for, who it is for and what
the job is about.
Once all these premises have been defined, it
is very important to take into account all the
factors that influence a project: height, light,
geographical position, client, budget, use, and
also the message that you want to convey with
that area. As you will see, I have not talked
about aesthetics. This is perhaps the last factor
to consider.
The added value factor in design
Our work is to custom-build and our brand
has a visible part and an invisible part: what
is seen which is linked to the identity and the
custom-build experience in order to create
a space; the one that cannot be seen has to
do with the success and profitability that the
client achieves thanks to the added- value
proposition that the design provides.
It might be a creative solution that manages
to turn a deficiency into a virtue, or even gives
a space a double life. The car park we designed
for the Puerta de América hotel comes to
mind, which, thanks to our intervention, can
be used not just as a car park but can also be
rented out for events.
What excites me most about my projects is
materializing a story, a concept or something
unusual that can make them unique. Right
now we have a residential project and some
luxury tourist apartments in Venice, a house
in Rome and, if you could ask for more… I
would love to build a winery!