CuldeSac, Experience workshop

by Cristina Giménez

It might be the hang-out of a rock band, a place of worship, a squat. Actually, CuldeSac is a multidisciplinary design studio formed in Valencia in 2002, whose original creative force comes from the combination of different figures and forms of expertise, from different parts of the world.

In Spanish, Catalan, English and French “cul de sac” means “dead end”. The terms was perfect for a place on a blind alley in Valencia where the designers would move. But in Catalan cul de sac also means just what it says, the bottom of the bag, the place where you can find all kinds of things, like the list of projects done by the studio to date: from a chair that won prizes in the US to a collection of timepieces that has received the Compasso d’Oro and the Red Dot Award, the new image of the Campus de Justicia in Madrid to the event organized for the re-opening, in Milan, of the prestigious boutique of Tiffany & Co. The versatility of CuldeSac can be seen in the wide range of services provided for clients: the three divisions of the studio (Creative Space, Communication and Experience) focus on the design of products and interiors, strategic branding and coordinated communication, ‘experiential’ places and public relations. It is hard to sum up the history and works of the group, originally composed of three designers, then six, eight, all the way to 17 today. The founders, Albert Martínez and Pepe García (Creative Space), both have masters degrees in design from the Royal College of Arts of London, where the studied with Ron Arad and learned methods of work that are unusual in the Mediterranean countries. They were gradually joined by Juan Poveda, Xavi Sempere (Communication), Sophie von Schönburg and Garen Moreno (Experience). Duna, a labrador found in the south of Spain, is also part of this big family. This blend of Anglo- Saxon training and Mediterranean culture generates an interesting hybrid whose most original not is the design method, especially the relationships established with clients, which they call ‘Method Street’.
Everything starts in the cheerful, familiar atmosphere of the studio. One of the most important moments of the day is lunch. Every day two members of the group have the job of cooking for everyone. At two o’clock sharp everyone stops working and gathers around the table, including clients, journalists, suppliers, anyone who happens to be there at the time. Around the table the discussion of projects continues, and especially on Fridays dessert is accompanied by an improvised concert: Xavi on drums, Garen on cajón flamenco, Alberto on guitar and Jordi, a member of the group Twelve Dolls, together with other members of the Communication team, does vocals. A nice way to finish the week. But all the fun is accompanied by maximum professional rigor when the whole group analyzes and discusses projects. Discussion among different forms of expertise is a fundamental strong point of CuldeSac, and each project involves the opinions of 17 persons, expressed as a single voice. The studio even has a guest room for visiting designers, who can work alone or join the team for a while. Since 2002 the Catalan group has gained great visibility thanks to its work with leading international brands. One of the first and most prestigious is undoubtedly Lladró, the Valencia-based porcelain maker, for which the studio designed Re-Cyclos, the collection that marked the beginning of the modernization of the brand in 2005. Since then the client portfolio of CuldeSac has expanded with names like Swarovski, Moooi, Loewe, Tiffany & Co, Lorenz, El Mil de Poaig, Lamalla.cat, Buongiorno, Bernhardt Design, Luzifer, Valentine, Carrera&Carrera. Recently the who creative team was involved in the revival of one of Valencia’s most famous jewelry stores: Trinidad Gracia. A project of overall restructuring, step by step, from the design of the interiors to the promotion and opening of the store.