08 Mar Great designers of our time – Jesús Gasca

Last year ESPC asked me to write a column on ‘Designers of our time’, for their glossy bi-annual publication Premier Living. In the first issue (which came out last September), I talked about the designs of Spanish-born Italian, Patricia Urquiola. For the latest edition, I kept with the Spanish theme and focussed on Jesús Gasca, a true master of his craft. 

The column is reproduced below for you to read and enjoy, 
Julian
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Jesús Gasca is the founder and principal designer of STUA, a contemporary furniture company based in the resort town of San Sebastian, Spain. 

Gasca originally trained as an engineer, but 30 years ago chose to move into the design and manufacture of furniture. This family company (Gasca’s son is also a designer, while his daughter runs the day-to-day operations) now produce furniture conceived and executed at an extraordinarily high level of aesthetic and engineering detail. Gasca’s work is innovative and original, usually fluid and sensual in form. He believes that: “Good design is not only about beautiful shapes. It always has to be clever in the solution of functional questions.” 

This is illustrated by a series of products that Gasca has designed over the last 20 years, including the Gas chair (pictured above), which is suited for use in the kitchen and dining room as much as the conference hall or café. The Gas is a chair with fluid lines that is as ‘light as gas’, making innovative use of aluminium. Every joint is resolved with an uncompromising attention to detail. The importance of Gasca’s design and the quality of manufacture has been recognised in the recent decision by the Guggenheim Museum, New York to select Gas (and two other STUA products) for use throughout the museum.