About Federico Correa

Both born in 1924, Federico Correa and Alfonso Milá were schoolmates and went on to attend the same university. They both received their doctorates in architecture from the University of Barcelona and they established their architectural studio in 1953, interweaving their friendship with a professional partnership. Their names soon became inseparable. The studio began with a focus on decoration and single-family homes, gradually developing larger projects such as offices, residences, or industrial factories. They successfully overcame several challenges within the fields of architecture, interior design and industrial design. In addition, both architects became dedicated lecturers, with an emphasis on the internationalisation of Barcelona and Spain s distinguishing features in the world of design. They taught at renowned design schools in Barcelona, such as ETSAB and EINA. Federico Correa and Alfonso Milá were disciples of the Modern Movement. Their work is a legacy of their learning from José Antonio Coderch and the inspiration they drew from the architecture of northern Italy. The Correa-Milá style has been distinguished by its characteristic manner of architectonic intervention from the beginning. Various of their summer houses in the seaside town of Cadaqués, with integrated furniture, created a refreshing and accommodating style that was later imitated often. Other projects by Federico Correa were Barcelona s Olympic Ring or the restaurant at the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, as well as the interior design of renowned venues in the history of Barcelona, such as the Flash Flash or Il Giardinetto restaurants. Aside from their residential and restaurant projects, Milá and Correa designed various industrial plants around Barcelona, such as the Godó i Trias and Montesa factories. Federico Correa and Alfonso Milá compare the challenges in the realm of industrial design to those of architecture: “The implementation process is so slow that you almost forget about it; it takes forever. Architecture has a fixed deadline, whereas design does not. Even when the two disciplines overlap, as was the case with everything we did in the Olympic Ring, the most challenging part is the production of the objects.” In 2003, when they were commissioned to remodel the office of Barcelona mayor Pasqual Maragall, the turned to Miguel Milá, Alfonso s younger brother, to design the furniture and lighting. As a result of this collaboration the Diana lamp was born, which since 1995 has been one of the most cherished lamps in Santa & Cole s collection. Between them, Federico Correa and Alfonso Milá have received several FAD awards and multiple accolades. They have been the tandem of Barcelona design, warmly reinventing architecture through their emblematic friendship.