Jordi Miralbell

Barcelona, 1953 — 2015

Jordi Miralbell understood design as the art of resolving the utilitarian through desirable objects imbued with human warmth. He had a natural talent for improving whatever he touched. Together with Mariona Raventós, they formed a pair of design artisans, where he contributed volume, proportion, structure, and mechanical logic to everything they created. For over fifteen years, Jordi and Mariona shared the Santa & Cole adventure, not only as authors, but also as editors and partners.

Jordi Miralbell was a designer, interior architect, and maker of soulful objects. He trained at Elisava, where he met Mariona Raventós, with whom he shared both life and craft. In 1979, they founded their studio in Barcelona, initially focused on graphic design, interiors, film, and set design. Over time, their language evolved into furniture and lighting pieces with a distinct artisanal spirit, brought together under the label Neoseries.

One of their first lamps, Arco, featured a parchment shade hand-painted by Mariona. This balance between the technical and the sensory defined their later work, especially the Atmósfera collection, where they developed a sober, warm, and essential aesthetic.

In 1989, they joined Santa & Cole, where they were actively involved in design, art direction, and editorial development for over fifteen years. This collaboration gave rise to iconic lamps such as Dórica.

Within their creative duo, Jordi contributed the volume, proportion, structure, and mechanical resolution of the pieces. His approach was methodical, yet always attuned to the subtle emotion found in the everyday. Far from flamboyance, his designs dialogue quietly with their surroundings and cast a serene light. As he once put it: “Design is the art of turning the utilitarian into something desired, into human warmth, into something made by people.”