“Design Meets Industry” at the Madrid Design Festival 2024
Actiu presents the Meetia collection, designed in collaboration with Ramón Esteve
The immersive installation “Design Meets Industry”, which will be on display until 25 February at the Institución Libre de Enseñanza in Madrid, tells the story of the design and manufacturing process of the Meetia collection
Actiu also organised a keynote speech by João Albuquerque, partner of the prestigious Danish studio BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group)
Actiu, the Alicante-based company that designs and manufactures furniture for workspaces, education, healthcare and contract, presents, as part of the Madrid Design Festival (MDF), its new Meetia collection, designed in collaboration with the prestigious architect and designer Ramón Esteve. For this launch, Actiu and Ramón Esteve combine design and industry in the immersive installation “Design Meets Industry”, which can be visited until 25 February at the Institución Libre de Enseñanza in Madrid (P.º del Gral. Martínez Campos, 14).
The installation “Design Meets Industry” tells the story of the design and manufacturing process of the Meetia collection and reflects how creativity and co-creation between design and industry can lead to unique and cutting-edge projects. Meetia is the real result of an industrial process with design as a common thread.
Architect and designer Ramón Esteve stated during the presentation that, for a piece to become a reality, a good design is not enough, but it is necessary to forge a connection with all those involved, in this case, Actiu.
“We have worked together refining the intuition of the initial design that has finally materialised thanks to the manufacturing skills of the Actiu team. In Meetia, all the creativity, energy and know-how of both parties converge to give life to a piece that aims to be very simple. The interesting thing about it is that it is familiar to you, but somehow it surprises you,” he emphasised.
Soledat Berbegal, Actiu’s Brand Reputation Manager, said:
“With this installation we want to open up and show the world our manufacturing facilities and what goes on inside. We want to be transparent, honest and give visibility to the talent that is there so that all the work that is done internally is valued. This is also our way of showing that design and differentiation at Actiu begins precisely there, inside, in the heart of our factories and in the heart of our products”.
As for the collaboration with Ramón Esteve’s studio, for Actiu, joining forces with artists and visionaries like Ramón Esteve is synonymous with “infusing products and details with soul, creating experiences that go beyond the visual”.
The director of Madrid Design Festival, Álvaro Matías, praised Actiu as an exponent of industrial design that “is exporting its way of doing and creating” based on its values, which include territory, design, sustainability and innovation.
“This installation transmits the necessary dialogue that is generated between creation and industry, between designer and manufacturer. This combination must be transmitted and made visible because it is not always known what is behind the creation of a product. As it is an installation open to the general public, visitors can take away clues about what lies beyond a beautiful object and see everything that lies behind it, in terms of the elaborate process of ideation, research, production and materialisation of a product,” he said.
Design Meets Industry” shows how, from the selection of materials to production, every decision is based on an unwavering commitment to the preservation of the environment. Beyond industrial efficiency, this immersive experience aims to make users aware of the importance of choosing products that have been conceived, designed and manufactured to take care of people and the territory.
“Design Meets Industry” is a travelling installation that will soon be on display at other Actiu locations.
Meetia
Meetia, which redefines the limits between creativity and industrial craftsmanship, is a collection of designer armchairs and sofas that promote well-being and comfort based on their structural solidity and different textures, finishes and dimensions to offer maximum versatility to contract, corporate, public and private environments. Meetia’s design is timeless and sober, with carefully worked upholstery and a perimeter steel structure that gives it its unique character.
Combining the passion and vision of Ramón Esteve, each Meetia piece is a work of art in itself, with exquisite details and clean lines that pay homage to the timeless design of avant-garde architectural spaces. Meetia stands out for its verticality, the bold aesthetic play of its structural joints, its elegance, functionality, versatility, customisation and durability over time.
In creating Meetia, Actiu uses sustainable materials and optimises production processes to reduce its ecological footprint. The ease of replacement and repair of all components guarantees a long and sustainable service life.
Actiu and BIG -Bjarke Ingels Group- in MDF
As part of the Fiesta Design programme, an MDF initiative that brings design to the streets to give it visibility and bring the public into contact with this discipline, Actiu organised at the Institución Libre de Enseñanza a master conference by João Albuquerque, Design Director of BIG -Bjarke Ingels Group-.
In his presentation, he discussed some of BIG’s most emblematic projects and explained how their way of working, based on community work, collaboration and dialogue, is transforming spaces based on the premise of regeneration. Albuquerque stressed the importance of all the agents involved coexisting and promoting sustainability and wellbeing in private and public spaces.
More about Actiu Actiu, a Spanish furniture design and manufacturing firm with globally award-winning innovative products, is renowned for creating spaces that are more comfortable, versatile and sustainable in their use and production. A sustainable production philosophy that drives every phase of the creative and collaborative process in every product, where innovation, creativity and well-being are the norm. More about Ramón Esteve Ramón Esteve is an architect and designer internationally recognised for being the mind behind creations that fuse the essence of nature and the Mediterranean with the avant-garde and the functional. His meticulous approach and innovative vision of pure lines have left a distinctive mark on projects ranging from residential spaces to iconic architectural, graphic and furniture designs. In 2017 he was named one of the 100 most influential designers in the world by Architonic, and in 2018 Forbes magazine included him in its list of the 100 most creative minds.