The ‘Lelukaappi’ shelf was inspired by the work of architect Alvar Aalto.

Enric Miralles Moya was a Spanish architect from Barcelona, Catalonia, but little is known of him as a furniture designer. Although Enric took care of every detail of the interior design of many of his private and public projects, the architect never designed furniture with the thought of reproducing it commercially.

Miralles Perpetuum Mobile, an exhibition supported by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) at the Disseny Hub in Barcelona, Spain, opened up his many facets as a creator to the public. It was organised by the Fundació Enric Miralles with support of the Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat de Catalunya.

Models of furniture and objects that were developed mainly for the architect’s home were exhibited and were reproduced and displayed – all made in American hardwoods such as Red oak, maple, cherry and tulipwood.

The last home of the architect in Barcelona was an old warehouse whose walls were knocked down, leaving an open and versatile space, perfect for Enric, who imagined a house in motion, where furniture did not have an established place or shape, but could be moved or modified according to the needs of each moment.

To make this contemporary vision of the interior space come true, he personally designed his furniture, sharing his sketches with craftsmen and carpenters, with whom he debated and experimented on these pieces.

The intense search for documentation among the architect’s most private archives resulted in the original design of each piece of furniture remaining the same with just a few technical updates, such as new hinges and connections for some of the pieces.

He created ‘Inestable’, ‘Dolmen’, ‘Troncs’ and ‘Tropical’ tables; the ‘Lelukaappi’ shelf inspired by the work of the architect Alvar Aalto; and several chairs that were used in projects, such as the Scottish Parliament or the headquarters of the Cìrculo de Lectores in Madrid.

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