For Mayice Studio,, architecture, design and craftsmanship are all part of the same creative language. Their work moves between light, materials and emotion to shape projects where beauty is born from authenticity, experimentation and imperfection. We spoke with Marta Alonso and Imanol Calderón about their approach to design, the value of handcrafted processes, and their ongoing pursuit of balance between technical precision and creative sensitivity.
Mayice Studio is a multidisciplinary practice where architecture, design, art and craftsmanship coexist. What lies behind this way of understanding your profession, and how is it reflected in your everyday work?
We studied architecture in Madrid between 1998 and 2005, and then spent seven years working with renowned practices such as Herzog & de Meuron, AMID Cero9, Enric Ruiz-Geli, and Acebo X Alonso. In 2014, at a time when it was particularly challenging to practise architecture, we founded our own multidisciplinary studio.
We began by designing and making our own wooden furniture pieces such as the ZOO Stool, XTable and Ray Table. Gradually, we started working with blown glass and light, two elements that have become central to our creative journey.
Before becoming an object or a space, how does an idea take shape at Mayice? Does it begin with a material, an emotion, a quality of light, a conversation…?
We find inspiration across every discipline from music, fragrances, landscapes and nature to visits to factories and workshops where materials are crafted with honesty and care, as well as from architecture and design. We usually begin with abstract concepts that gradually evolve into form, function and materiality.
Sometimes, it is a material or a manufacturing process observed in a factory or an artisan’s workshop that gives rise to an object: a stool, a lamp, a bench or even a staircase.
At other times, the space itself suggests the idea. For example, in our latest installation for Nuet Ceramic at Casa Decor, we were presented with a long, narrow terrace ending in a solid wall. Our response was to create a staircase that invites visitors to look beyond to discover the skies of Madrid and expand their perspective.
You often find beauty where others see only raw materials. What inspires you most: the transformative potential of a material, or the story it carries?
The material itself, how it is worked and the processes behind it, is a constant source of inspiration, and we always find great beauty in it. One of our most recent experiences was at Nuet Ceramic’s factory in Teruel, where the clay is extracted, and later in Tajimi, Japan, where we came up with the idea of using ceramic waste. The ceramic-making process, together with its reuse, completely transforms the appearance of the material, and we found that incredibly inspiring.
Curiosity seems to be one of the driving forces behind Mayice. Can you recall a discovery, a mistake or an unexpected experiment that eventually became a defining idea for the studio?
We have countless experiences, many of them rooted in failures and mistakes. We never found the visible LED filaments particularly appealing, nor did we like lamps where the exposed bulb creates visual discomfort. This led us to develop our Filamento Lamps: the idea of creating an immaterial filament of light that you can look at comfortably, without glare.
There have been many other processes where we have identified opportunities for innovation, ways of transforming ideas into objects that are both beautiful and functional.
In an era defined by fleeting trends, what qualities do you believe a design must have to continue inspiring people over time?
We don’t believe in trends. We often talk about the idea of “the non-trend.” Our goal is to design pieces that endure for as long as possible.The lighting designs of Gino Sarfatti, for example, never go out of style, they always feel relevant and contemporary. There are many other examples like this.
Throughout your career, you have developed a wide range of projects with significant international recognition. If you had to choose one, not because of awards or acclaim, but because of everything it taught you along the way, which would it be, and why?
We couldn’t choose just one project. Every project matters, and each one forms part of a larger body of work. Every step is connected to the next. From designing a blown-glass lamp where the light source remains hidden, to the glass skywalk at the top of the Rock of Gibraltar, which we designed with Jonas Stahl, or the interior of The Sibarist’s Calle Cristo residence, where your glazed mosaic brings light and a sense of cleanliness while visually expanding the space, each project has contributed to our creative journey.
Working with wood, metal, glass, ceramics, silk and textiles continually opens the door to new ideas and new lines of research. We always encourage our students to keep observing the world around them and to remain critical of what they see.
We were truly impressed by your project for The Sibarist Calle Cristo, a space that conveys calm, sensitivity and a profound connection with materials. How did the concept emerge, and what story did you want to tell through it?
Every space tells us what it needs. In this case, the home called for a fluid, continuous circulation, with routes connecting the interior courtyard to the exterior façade and its three balconies. We worked with materials, light and air to create a home that conveys balance, tranquillity, harmony and luminosity.
It is a home that, as they say at The Sibarist, “takes care of you.” The careful selection of just a few materials, including oak flooring, small-format glazed Hisbalit mosaic tiles, high-gloss white ceilings, bespoke blown-glass lighting with indirect illumination, and a natural brass kitchen together with partitions that stop short of the ceiling and incorporate a one-metre strip of clear glass, helps create a space filled with light, openness and harmony, making everyday life more enjoyable.
In this project, you incorporated glass mosaic in a palette of sand and natural tones. What attracted you to this material, and what role did it play in creating the atmosphere you were seeking?
The size and layout of the mosaic were perfectly suited to this project. Because it is glazed, it always brings brightness and reflections, while also offering antibacterial properties. The colour blended naturally with the home’s overall palette, helping to reinforce the calm and harmonious atmosphere we wanted to create.
Throughout your work, there is a constant dialogue between material, process and emotion. What draws you to materials that retain a strong handcrafted character, such as mosaic, and what do they bring to a space and to the final outcome of a project?
Materials and processes shaped by hand give each piece a unique personality. We’re not entirely sure why, but they always seem to possess a more artistic quality. We often talk about the perfectly imperfect.
To this day, almost all of our interiors, objects and designs bear a strong human imprint through craftsmanship and handwork, and people often tell us that our work has an artistic dimension. We believe that controlled imperfection gives every project its own distinctive character.
Finally, if you had to define Mayice Studio through a material, a texture and a quality of light, what would they be, and why?
We couldn’t define Mayice through a single material, texture or type of light.
What we can say is that we are always striving to evolve. We want to surround ourselves with collaborators who are eager to be part of the creative process, people who bring enthusiasm, creativity, commitment and transparency to every project.