Each element presented in this space is unique and original, even taking into account the minimal design changes in terms of materials and improvements, with a total of 20 pieces placed strategically wanting to reproduce one of the architect's projects and his way of equipping it. of life. Among this series of pieces, we can find the ‘Inestable’, ‘Dolmen’, ‘Troncs’ and ‘Tropical’ tables, the ‘Lelukaappi’ i shelf, several chairs, as well as lighting fixtures of an unpublished design.
Description of project by. Benedetta Tagliabue and Joan Roig i Duran
After the opening of the first three exhibitions, on Wednesday, May 26 it opens at the Disseny Hub MIRALLES. Perpetuum Mobile shows that it is also part of the MIRALLES events, promoted by the Enric Miralles Foundation with the support of the Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat de Catalunya, to honor the figure of the Catalan architect Enric Miralles in his many facets as creator, and whose death was 20 years old in 2020.
The curators of the MIRALLES events are Benedetta Tagliabue and Joan Roig i Duran, with the collaboration of the architecture studio Miralles Tagliabue EMBT, l'Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura (ETSAB) and the Col·legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC) .
MIRALLES. Perpetuum Mobile shows the lesser-known side of Enric Miralles, as a furniture designer. While his architecture studio with Benedetta Tagliabue tackles interior projects, it is the first time that an exhibition has been dedicated to showcasing these designs in a selected way.
In each private residence and also in many of the public projects, the architect took care of every last detail of the interior design, but Miralles never designed furniture thinking of reproducing it commercially.
Specifically in this exhibition, models of furniture and objects that were developed mainly for their domestic environment are exhibited and that have been reproduced and displayed thanks to the support of the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and with material donated by AE Maderas.
In Miralles' creative process there is a constant intention to give life to his works. A desire that is also reflected in his photographic collages, giving movement to the image, as shown in the MIRALLES exhibition. Photos & Collages that are part of the tribute. In the Disseny Hub, you will be able to appreciate the intention of giving life and movement applied to furniture design.
The architect's last home in Barcelona was an old warehouse from which walls were knocked down, leaving an open and versatile space, perfect for Miralles, who imagined a house in motion, where the furniture does not have an established place or shape but can be moved. or be modified according to the needs of each moment.
To make this current and contemporary vision of the interior space come true, he designed the furniture, sharing his sketches with craftsmen and carpenters, with whom he debated and experimented on these pieces.
The MIRALLES exhibition. Perpetuum Mobile starts from an intense search for documentation among the architect's most private archives, and close collaboration with the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) for the reproduction of these designs.
The original idea of each piece has been preserved intact, although American woods have been used for reproduction, since the originals were made in exotic woods that today would not be recommended to import, and small elements such as hinges have also been improved.
During the search work in the archives, a notebook was found with a detailed drawing of an unknown table that was never produced, and that has now been built for the first time by deciphering the instructions that Miralles left in his notes.
The sample has more than 20 pieces, among them the 'Inestable', 'Dolmen', 'Troncs' and 'Tropical' tables, the 'Lelukaappi' shelf inspired by the work of the architect Alvar Aalto, several chairs that were used in projects such as the Scottish Parliament or the headquarters of the Círculo de Lectores in Madrid, as well as unpublished luminaries that began to be designed with Enric but that had not been carried out.
The structure of the exhibition wants to symbolically reproduce the private house of Miralles and Tagliabue. The furniture is distributed in the space imitating its original position, and on the walls, you can see the sketches and drawings that show the design of these objects. Also on display are some photos of the architect's family life in which these pieces of furniture appear. The light points designed by Miralles illuminate furniture and are used as decorative elements.
The exhibition is completed with a stop-motion video and a documentary made by AHEC that explains the meticulous process of reconstruction of the pieces starting from the original idea and shows the movements that give “life” to these pieces of furniture.
About the reproduced furniture
Unstable, 1993.
Original piece in iroco (home version) / oak (studio version).
Reproduction in American red oak.
The origin of the Unstable was commissioned by the Le Magazine gallery in Grenoble. Initially made with Iroco wood for his home and oak for the study, "... like those in American offices at the beginning of the century," two units were produced. Reproduced in American red oak for the display, this oversized table is made up of multiple tops that can rotate upright, displaying secret drawers and lecterns for easy reading. The rounded perimeter formed by the boards frames the Z-shaped structure that recalls the plan of the Igualada cemetery and the structure of the Parets del Vallès roofs, in addition to the initials of his name, M and E. Enric Miralles referred to it in many lectures and interviews, thus generating a kaleidoscopic description of the table.
“This table is the size of a room, approximately 3 x 2.80 meters; the shape it takes is changing. It is a piece that allows, as soon as you sit down or decide where you will work, to wrap yourself around yourself. »
"This piece is, to understand us, a kind of survival kit: with this, a kitchen and a bathroom, you can live."
"It is an instrument of work and at the same time an instrument of reflection."
The carpenters from La Navarra pointed out that it is the most complex piece of furniture to manufacture in the exhibition: full of details with hidden parts and drawers that are accessed thanks to three holes with a hole cut into the work surface that acts as handles. The hinge for the moving parts of the lid has been made specifically for the Unstable. Its operation involves two movements continuous: extract and rotate.
Lelukaappi, 1995.
Original piece in birch plywood.
Reproduction in American maple plywood with American cherry marquetry.
The Lelukaappi shelf was commissioned for the Alvar Aalto Symposium in Jyväskylä (Finland). Originally thought for the Mollet del Vallès toy library, it is almost a microcosm of the building for which it was designed. It is made up of three bodies of different heights articulated together so that they can rotate on the axis that joins them. Each of the bodies is made up of horizontal and vertical wooden shelves. The fact that the three bodies incorporate wheels allows a sinuous movement to be traced to the point of building an envelope.
Like many of the shelves designed by Enric Miralles, the Lelukaappi is characterized by the organic layout of the plant and the ability to envelop the user until it becomes an individualized space to work, read or reflect.
In the Lelukaappi reproduction process, the carpenters used American maple plywood inlaid with American cherry and finished with acrylic varnish. The curved vertical shelves were fabricated in the joinery by cold pressing counterbalanced layers of maple veneer over beds made to measure to give the particular shape of each curved vertical plane. The joints between the horizontal and vertical pieces were carved by hand.
Troncs, 1998
Original piece in elm
Reproduction in the trunk of American red oak
Made in collaboration with Benedetta Tagliabue, the Troncs table was initially built in elmwood and is also part of the furniture in the house. It has now been reproduced in American red oak.
A simple mechanism allows the position of the legs to be changed and offers the possibility of having a very low table, almost a bench, or a high table
conventional.
It is almost a revision of the classic picnic table that incorporates a wooden bench but made with logs with cross-legged legs. The planks, with irregular sides, from which only the bark has been removed, only accentuate the mountaineering simile of the piece.
Studied, 1993
Original piece in oak and cherry
Reproduction in red oak and American cherry
The Estudi table was designed by Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue for their home. It has space for two people to sit so that they can draw, design, and speak opposite each other. It is made up of a large five-legged frame that supports a wooden surface with a groove that allows electrical cables to pass through. Underneath, in an adaptable position, there is a drawer with wheels for storing architectural plans.
The Estudi table has been reproduced in American cherry with two sides of the top in red oak boule wood. The chest of drawers is a piece of furniture with wheels whose front is made of vertically married cherry veneers, achieving an admirable aesthetic effect that is different from the usual one.
Marisa, 1992
Original piece in birch plywood
Reproduction in American tulipwood plywood
The Marisa bookshelf was intended as a surprise gift for Benedetta's mother, Marisa, who needed a lockable shelf for her books. At the end of the construction of the piece, Marisa, who was unaware of the gift, had already bought some lockable shelves. So the Marisa shelf never traveled to Italy and stayed with the creators of it. Conceived from the typology of travel trunks, it is made up of two high-rise bodies that, through a set of hinges, can be closed on themselves, leaving the books and objects inside partially visible.
The Marisa shelf is made up of two bodies that pivot between themselves on hinges. The last layer of the plywood board is made of American tulipwood veneer, arranged in such a way that it matches the length, the edges, and the face of the shelf so that it appears that, horizontally, it is a single piece of tulipwood.
Mystery, 1999
Unpublished
American maple
The Mistery table was never built. Benedetta Tagliabue recovered the plans after finding them by chance. It has been redrawn and produced especially for this exhibition, so the tests carried out both in 3D and with wooden prototypes have been essential to be able to complete the manufacture successfully.
It is a drawing table that can be lengthened or shortened using a system that folds the tabletop in a zigzag, transforming it from a workspace to a dining table for up to 16 people. When it is open it is a table of more than 4 meters and closed it has the size of a drawing table that allows supporting books and plans. American maple has been chosen for its toughness, perfect for a drafting table. His movement is reminiscent of a rower in a canoe.
Tropical, 1994
Original piece in bolondo
Reproduction in American red oak
Made in collaboration with Benedetta Tagliabue, the Tropical table was originally made with bolondo wood recovered from the project for the pergolas on Avenida Icaria in Barcelona and is part of the furniture in her house. It has two possible heights: one of 70 cm, which allows it to be used as a dining table, and another of 35 cm, which makes it a coffee table. The movement that modifies the heights is carried out vertically, supported by the four legs of the table, which act as the pillars of a drawbridge and are supported by a crisscross frame. The reproduction is made of American red oak with an oil finish.
Dolmen, 1995
Original piece in bolondo
Reproduction in American cherry and tulipwood
The Dolmen table is part of the furniture that Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue designed for their home. Originally made with bolondo wood recovered from the project for the pergolas on Avenida Icaria in Barcelona and reproduced in American red cherry and tulipowood, it recovers the idea of restaurant tables, which were folded vertically when not in use. In this case, the open table, thanks to the drawers under the tabletop, can be used to work, while when folded it becomes a mobile wall that acts as a screen to divide spaces.
The Dolmen table has a mobile top, in the shape of a menhir made up of eight solid American cherry boards arranged diagonally and joined by visible ribs. The top is fixed to the bottom of the cabinet using a cross-shaped frame made of American tulipwood. The lower part of the furniture is made up of three legs, one of them with two pivoting arms that allow the table to be lowered so that it takes up less space. For the top and the drawers, American cherry was used for its color and fine texture. Tulipwood was chosen for the structural part.
Japanese stool, 1992
Original piece in iroco
Reproduction in red oak, tulipwood, maple, and American cherry
The Japanese stool was created after a trip to Japan Enric and Benedetta. Its design was inspired by a traditional Japanese shower stool.
Six stools have been reproduced in American red oak, tulipwood, maple, and cherry with an oil finish. The Japanese stool is a very simple piece of furniture that allows you to see in its entirety how it is built, without hidden joints. It has a slot at the top that makes it easy to lift and move and can be placed in a low or upright position.
Miralles carbon footprint. Perpetuum Mobile
By applying Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), the project demonstrates the environmental benefits of designing products in abundant and naturally renewable materials. It also provides clear information on the steps required during manufacturing to improve environmental performance and maximize sustainability goals.
When viewed as a group, Perpetuum Mobile's seven designs in which American hardwood is the predominant material are better than carbon neutral. The total global warming potential or carbon footprint of the designs is minus 223 kg CO2 equivalent (negative). Carbon neutrality is achieved as the carbon stored in the wood used for the designs, along with a small offset for the use of process residues for energy production, exceeds all carbon emissions during extraction, processing, and transportation. of raw materials, manufacturing in La Navarra in Madrid, and delivery of finished furniture in Barcelona. Several factors contribute to achieving carbon neutrality, including:
• The use of four abundant and sustainable US hardwoods, which together contributed 1.26 tonnes (78%) of the total 1.61 tonnes of the seven Perpetuum Mobile designs. Since there is no land-use change involved in logging and growth greatly exceeds harvest, there is no accumulation of “carbon debt” due to the extraction of these hardwood species in the United States.
• Relatively low energy inputs are required to convert American hardwoods into valuable materials, and the use of these materials is still largely in its natural state with limited addition of other materials, treatments, and finishes. It only takes about 6.4 seconds to replace all the hardwood used to make these seven with new growth in the US forest pieces. Maple, red oak, tulipwood, and cherry are underutilized from a forestry perspective. The creation of larger markets for these woods reduces the pressure on other less abundant commercial hardwood species and improves the financial returns from the sustainable use of various semi-natural forests.
