"The symbolic dimension of contemporary Basque furniture: Identity, avant-garde and cultural capital"- Mercedes Ramírez Caballín - Bilbao, 11-14/06/2025.

Abstract

"During the 1950s and 1960s, furniture design in the Basque Country became a symbol of cultural identity and modernity. Far from being just functional objects, many pieces created by Basque designers at this time reflected a fusion between art, sculpture and industrial design . core topic figures such as Agustín Ibarrola, Jorge Oteiza and Eduardo Chillida, took furniture beyond the utilitarian, transforming it into an expression of avant-garde and innovation. The paper sheds light on this chapter of history by trying to show the impact of industrial design on the Basque cultural identity of furniture as a symbol of status and modernization. Through the analysis of these cases, it seeks to highlight how these designers challenged the norms of traditional design by introducing new forms, materials and concepts that reflected their commitment to artistic experimentation and cultural identity. It was a declaration of principles, an artistic experimentation and a reflection of the modernization of Basque society. His pieces not only furnished spaces, but built an identity and a new way of understanding design."

 "From cabins to lounges: modernity, furniture and social status in the transports of the interwar period" - María Villanueva Fernández, Héctor García-Diego Villarías - Bilbao, 11-14/06/2025.

Abstract

"After World War I, profound social changes transformed living habits, driving the development of spaces and furniture for leisure and, at the same time, experimentation with minimal living spaces. This context coincided with technical advances that led to a great development in the field of transportation (trains, ships and airships).

In these "mobile architectures," leisure (restaurants, cabarets) and limited space ( class cabins) merged and captivated architects and decorators who actively participated in the configuration of these interiors and in the design the furniture.

The architectural magazines of the time reflected this duality. On the one hand, they documented the luxury of art deco furnishings for the conservative upper class and, on the other, they showed the austerity and functionality of modern equipment for class cabins and other new types of transportation.

This research is based on the analysis of articles on interior design and transport furniture published in Spanish magazines of the 1930s. Its goal is to demonstrate how transport furniture became a symbol of culture, social status and modernity, evidencing its role in the changing lifestyles and social rituals of the time."

The V International congress Culture and City (Granada, June 16-18, 2025) was organized by the area of Architectural Composition of the University of Granada and the research project of the National Plan and directed by Professors David Arredondo Garrido and Juan Calatrava "Food and City. From the domestic to the public space. Elements for a history, arguments for the contemporary project (FoodCity)" PDI2020-115039GB-I00.

The congress set itself the fundamental goal of promoting research that explores the intersections between food, architecture and the city, in the conviction that such an approach can generate a richer and more articulated knowledge than the simple sum of isolated perspectives.

The structure of the Issue is organized around three fundamental scales of analysis: the domestic sphere, the intermediate urban spaces and the territory, to which is added a final block dedicated to the cultural representations that link and project these worlds.

 The international design "of eating" imported to Spain through the magazine Muebles + Decoración (1958-1974) - Pablo Arza Garaloces, María Villanueva Fernández, Héctor García-Diego Villarías - Granada, 16-18/06/2025

Abstract

In 1958 the first issue of Muebles + Decoración magazine was published in Spain. Founded by Robert Kohlhammer, it is the Spanish version of the German Moebel Interior Design. In the Spanish context, its appearance in 1958 is no coincidence. Since the 1950s, several architects had been developing a series of initiatives in favor of interior design and renovation in the country, with the aim of consolidating discipline in Spain. In this sense, editorial projects such as the magazine Muebles + Decoración were a fundamental channel for keeping up to date with international design trends, particularly in the domestic space. A field to which many professionals have directed their efforts, with a special focus on interiors, furniture and objects related to the food business. These have a strong protagonism in Muebles + Decoración. Throughout the 1960s, the magazine offers a valuable look abroad in a core topic for the configuration of domestic design in Spain. The communication aims to analyze this episode, focusing on the contribution of this medium to the updating of Spanish 'eating' design .

The first issue of Muebles + Decoración magazine was published in Spain in 1958. Founded by Robert Kohlhammer, it is the Spanish version of the German Moebel Interior Design. In the Spanish context, its appearance in 1958 is no coincidence. Since the 1950s, several architects had been developing a series of initiatives in favor of design in the country, with the aim of consolidating the discipline in Spain. In this sense, publishing house projects such as the magazine Muebles + Decoración were a fundamental channel for keeping up to date with international trends in design and, in particular, in the domestic space. A field to which many professionals have directed their efforts, with a special focus on interiors, furniture and objects related to the food activity. These have a marked prominence in Muebles + Decoración. Throughout the 1960s, the magazine offers a valuable look abroad at a key moment in the shaping of domestic design in Spain. This paper sets out to analyze this episode, focusing on the contribution of this medium to the updating of Spanish design 'for eating'.

 The art of the table and the diffusion of "good design" in Spain in the 1950s - María Villanueva Fernández, Héctor García-Diego Villarías, Pablo Arza Garaloces - Granada, 16-18/06/2025

Abstract

This paper analyzes the work of the architect in the design of objects related to cooking and eating in Spain in the 1950s, as well as the initiatives linked to their promotion and their presence in national architectural periodicals. To this end, the contents of the Revista Nacional de Arquitectura/Arquitectura and Cuadernos de Arquitectura have been analyzed, as they were a reference at the time and living testimonies of the events that took place. Specifically, a study was carried out both of the theoretical articles on the discipline of industrial design , and of all the articles in which quotations appeared or presented images of objects related to the art of the table. For this analysis, tableware objects were taken into account, excluding furniture. The data found on these objects, both national and international, allow us to gauge their role in the training of Spanish material culture of the period, as well as in the diffusion of the ideals of modernity and functionality. In addition, the development the designs and debates published in these media are proof of the influence they exerted in the consolidation of a new model of home, and in the promotion of an accessible and quality design for all social strata.

This paper analyses the architect's work in the design of objects related to cooking and eating in Spain in the 1950s, as well as the initiatives linked to their promotion and their presence in national architectural periodicals. To this end, the contents of the Revista Nacional de Arquitectura/Arquitectura and Cuadernos de Arquitectura have been analyzed, as they were a reference at the time and living testimonies of the events that took place. Specifically, a study has been carried out of both the theoretical articles on the discipline of industrial design, as well as all the articles in which quotes appeared or presented images of objects related to the art of the table. For this analysis, tableware objects have been considered, excluding furniture. The data found on these objects, both national and international, allow us to gauge their role in the formation of the Spanish material culture of the time, as well as in the diffusion of the ideals of modernity and functionality. Furthermore, the development of the designs and debates published in these average, confirm in themselves the influence they exerted in the consolidation of a new model of home, and in the promotion of an accessible and quality design for all social strata.

The workshop presented the results of the first year of the project, highlighting how architects contributed to the consolidation of design as a discipline in Spain from 1925 to 1975. Spanish design was approached from different media (architectural magazines, semi-professional and non-professional, and books) and perspectives (from aesthetics, business or women designers) with the goal of advancing in the search for a Spanish theoretical corpus on design and to propose the second phase of the project, focused on the analysis of the data obtained, also highlighting the intellectual and pedagogical work of women in this process.

PROGRAM

GALLERY