Partners Miguel Crespo, Javier Guzmán, and Sixto Martín, all 39, are survivors—they founded Zooco studio in 2009 as Spain’s economy tanked. Their practice began like many in those days, with two competition wins for small-town public projects, but crisis-driven budget cuts canceled one and reduced the other by half. Now on the other side of the storm, the three are reemerging, like the delicate recovering economy itself, with small- and medium-size private commissions ranging from tiny boutiques to upgrading a faded resort hotel.
To tackle this varied portfolio, the partners develop systems of geometric assembly and formal repetition. “We like to use a single element that responds to many requirements,” explains Martin. For Nuilea, a natural cosmetics shop in a trendy Madrid neighborhood, they designed a 16-inch cubic building block, made of MDF board and with two open sides, to build a sales counter and a fabric-covered bench. Blocks along the walls alternate open and closed faces for display and storage. Others, with Japanese parchment over the openings, house lights. “Those blocks are like a spreading virus,” Martin jokes, “colonizing even the ceiling.”
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.