05/05/2015

Wanda Barcelona

Inti and Dani (who, like their colleague Iris, refer to themselves simply by their first names) met in Barcelona a few years ago. They soon became friends – and discovered they shared a passion for all things hand-crafted as well as for origami. In 2007, they met Iris, and, together, they set up Wanda Barcelona, a lively design studio specialising in the creation of temporary environments.

Each member of this Barcelona-based trio brings a different and complementary skill to the table. This dynamic mix of talents gives rise to truly amazing projects which fuse a classical aesthetic with an avant-garde approach, tradition with innovation, minimalism with a maximalist profusion of different effects.

Inti, an architect, designs the studio’s interiors which Dani, the designer, furnishes with objects. Iris, who trained in art, injects imaginative touches into the resulting designs. Others – in addition to a graphic designer and interior designer – have occasionally collaborated with the studio.

Wanda Barcelona (Wanda for short) creates temporary, bespoke installations for such diverse clients as Adidas, Lladró, Diesel, Carolina Herrera, Madrid’s Thyssen-Bornemisza museum, MTV and Telefónica. The studio revives traditional techniques but gives them a contemporary spin by using state-of-the-art technology. Its hallmarks include working with origami, playing with perspectives and using paper or cardboard across all its projects.

Among the handful of product designs that it’s been commissioned to create, the most arresting is the Loto light, which was for sale at the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum during its temporary exhibition, Monet and Abstraction, held last year in line with the studio’s house style, the lamp is made of cardboard, a material chosen as much for aesthetic as ethical reasons, since it’s sustainable.

According to Inti, the studio’s members are inspired by everything that surrounds them: design classics, blogs about trends, cinema, fashion, rock and pop music, Barcelona… In a world in which we’re bombarded by images from all over the world, they’re as influenced as much by the everyday as by the out of the ordinary.

The studio’s currently working on a project which Inti is particularly proud of – they’re designing the windows of Lladro’s shops worldwide. ‘It’s a fascinating project: to build miniature worlds around a product which are then seen all over the world. It’s a huge challenge.’ In these theatrical windows, origami figures frame the delicate porcelain pieces displayed there to spectacular effect.

Wanda’s flair for designing such accomplished mise-en-scènes comes down to the fact that it works in tandem with its clients. Indeed, they have a close-knit relationship. Before starting on a project, they prepare for it by conscientiously communicating their ideas to each other. Once an item has been designed, the production process – generally hand-made in the studio’s workshop – begins. If necessary – or if the idea is more complex than usual – the project is created externally, though the team approves every detail of the design. And they always create the final installation to ensure it looks how they want it to.

When asked what qualities temporary installations have that interior and product design lack, they say evocatively, ’The ephemeral has the power to amaze you, leave you speechless. Its powerful images linger in your memory… They’re truly magical,’ concludes Inti. At times, this magical quality – which you can take a look at on our gallery of images – is subtle, at others it’s playful.

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Wanda Barcelona

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