2026年7月15日
Patricia Urquiola and the art of transforming materials
The Spanish architect and designer brings her interdisciplinary vision to the world of fitness with spaces that transform, objects that trigger rituals and materials that tell a story.
When design and wellness share the same vision, the result goes beyond mere functionality. This is exactly where the collaboration between Patricia Urquiola and Technogym begins – a dialogue built over time through shared projects in the world of hospitality and developed around a broader idea of wellness that brings in body, space, materials and behaviours.
“Movement comes into my work in many ways. It not only relates to the body in a physical sense, but also the way in which we move around mentally within a project”.
For Patricia Urquiola, movement is a concept that permeates every stage of a project. It is not just about physical activity, but also the ability to change perspective, link up different disciplines and create connections between people, objects and environments. It is an approach that intersects naturally with Technogym’s philosophy, which has always been focused on a holistic vision of wellness, in which performance and quality of life go hand in hand.
“Movement comes into my work in many ways. It not only relates to the body in a physical sense, but also the way in which we move around mentally within a project”.
For Patricia Urquiola, movement is a concept that permeates every stage of a project. It is not just about physical activity, but also the ability to change perspective, link up different disciplines and create connections between people, objects and environments. It is an approach that intersects naturally with Technogym’s philosophy, which has always been focused on a holistic vision of wellness, in which performance and quality of life go hand in hand.
The body is at the core of this thinking, not just as an abstract element, but as a collection of gestures, postures, habits and daily rituals. According to Urquiola, every space and every object should come about by observing how people live and move, by adapting to their needs in an intuitive and natural way.
This sensibility takes tangible form in Rocky Bench, the project developed with Technogym that reinterprets one of its most iconic home fitness products, the Technogym Bench, through the language of design and material research. The goal was not to modify the object’s function, but to transform how it is perceived by introducing a new sensory dimension.
To do this, Urquiola chose to work with Cimento, a material made primarily from mineral aggregates and a cement binder. The bench’s surface is coated with a textured and irregular layer reminiscent of natural, landscape elements, distancing the object from the traditional image of sports equipment. The weights have also been reinterpreted through surface treatments that modify their appearance without compromising their function.
This sensibility takes tangible form in Rocky Bench, the project developed with Technogym that reinterprets one of its most iconic home fitness products, the Technogym Bench, through the language of design and material research. The goal was not to modify the object’s function, but to transform how it is perceived by introducing a new sensory dimension.
To do this, Urquiola chose to work with Cimento, a material made primarily from mineral aggregates and a cement binder. The bench’s surface is coated with a textured and irregular layer reminiscent of natural, landscape elements, distancing the object from the traditional image of sports equipment. The weights have also been reinterpreted through surface treatments that modify their appearance without compromising their function.
The inspiration came from directly observing the production processes. During a visit to the Cimento factories, Urquiola was struck by the layers of colour that build up spontaneously on the working surfaces, a sort of visual memory of the processes that have gone before. This led to the idea of transferring this material and coloured richness onto Rocky Bench for Technogym, introducing colour and surface accents that tell a story.
The result is an object that occupies the space between fitness, design and experimenting with materials. A contamination that represents one of the most characteristic aspects of Urquiola’s approach to design. She believes that the most interesting ideas often come about thanks to an encounter between different worlds, when skills, technologies and languages overlap to generate new possibilities.
Rocky Bench perfectly embodies this philosophy. It is a training tool, a material research project and a reflection on the relationship between body and space all at the same time. The project also combines an industrial dimension with the sensitivity of craftsmanship, transforming a functional object into a richer and more fun experience.
The result is an object that occupies the space between fitness, design and experimenting with materials. A contamination that represents one of the most characteristic aspects of Urquiola’s approach to design. She believes that the most interesting ideas often come about thanks to an encounter between different worlds, when skills, technologies and languages overlap to generate new possibilities.
Rocky Bench perfectly embodies this philosophy. It is a training tool, a material research project and a reflection on the relationship between body and space all at the same time. The project also combines an industrial dimension with the sensitivity of craftsmanship, transforming a functional object into a richer and more fun experience.
Urquiola’s collaboration with Technogym also offers a glimpse of the future of wellness and the role design will be called upon to play in the next few years. Spaces dedicated to wellness will become increasingly fluid and versatile, capable of adapting to different functions throughout the day.
In this scenario, technology will continue to be a fundamental element, but in an increasingly less visible way. The most effective innovation will succeed in supporting people’s experience without taking over, naturally integrating into objects and rooms.
“I’m interested in active objects, objects that don’t just occupy a space, but bring it to life. Objects that generate rituals and support different ways of living”.
This vision reflects the very evolution of the concept of wellness – it will no longer be an activity separate from daily life, but a widespread presence that runs through everyday spaces and habits. Through projects such as Rocky Bench, Patricia Urquiola and Technogym are exploring this direction, coming up with objects that don’t just occupy a space, but activate it, generating new interactions and new ways of experiencing wellness.
In this scenario, technology will continue to be a fundamental element, but in an increasingly less visible way. The most effective innovation will succeed in supporting people’s experience without taking over, naturally integrating into objects and rooms.
“I’m interested in active objects, objects that don’t just occupy a space, but bring it to life. Objects that generate rituals and support different ways of living”.
This vision reflects the very evolution of the concept of wellness – it will no longer be an activity separate from daily life, but a widespread presence that runs through everyday spaces and habits. Through projects such as Rocky Bench, Patricia Urquiola and Technogym are exploring this direction, coming up with objects that don’t just occupy a space, but activate it, generating new interactions and new ways of experiencing wellness.
