We interviewed María Ramis, architect and CEO of MR Architecture. Her architectural proposal is based on three key concepts: light, design and functionality, each intrinsically linked to the previous one. Worldlight Estudio collaborated with her on the lighting design for her architectural and interior design project for Mármoles Moyá, one of the most emblematic and leading Mallorcan companies.

Maria, tell us a little about your professional career:

At the end of my studies at the Escuela Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona I started working in a Madrid studio based in Mallorca, for which we developed large-scale hotel projects and high-end housing in Mallorca and Madrid. After a while I started to collaborate in an architectural office in Puerto de Andratx, where I was able to continue developing luxury projects in Mallorca and the Dominican Republic. After six years of collaboration and with more projects than expected, I decided to start my own architecture studio, which was quite a challenge. In our studio we develop all kinds of projects, but mostly single-family houses. 

What do you like most about your job?

Ours is usually a profession by vocation that requires a lot of dedication and effort, the road to complete a job is not always easy, but the most rewarding thing, for me, is to see the final result of the projects. 

Which professional in architecture or interior design, a world reference, would you like to collaborate with?

I admire many architects, but I have a special predilection for the work of Alberto Campo Baeza and John Pawson. 

If you were a lamp, you'd be...

Difficult question! There are so many lamps that I consider a "must have" that deciding on one is not an easy job... I love the lamps designed by great architects of the twentieth century, at the time they were groundbreaking and at the same time transgressive with the traditional prototypes. However, I follow with great expectation all Brokis designs, in particular the Baloon, it was love at first sight. I am fascinated by the combination of glass and metal, it is the perfect balance of elegance and simplicity. 

In reference to the Mármoles project Moya in which we designed the lighting

The new showroom of Marmolería Moyá has an area of about 500m2, of which about 200m2 correspond to offices and the rest to exhibition. The main idea of this project was that the undisputed protagonist were the materials par excellence that we wanted to expose: marble and stone. From this premise, our intervention aims to be as discreet as possible to emphasize precisely the star materials. 

The challenge: 

In this project the main challenge was to design a space in which all the materials to be exhibited had their own prominence, but without this meaning the detriment of some with respect to others. For us the important thing was that the visitor did not feel overwhelmed, but that the visit to the exhibition was an experience in which each area had its own special importance and prominence. 

Anecdote: 

Getting to square the cut of the pavement with the skylights of the roof... On the plan it seems the easiest thing in the world, but the execution is another story. In the end we managed to match it perfectly.  

How important is lighting for you in your projects?

Lighting in architecture is ESSENTIAL, thanks to it we create interior and exterior environments that allow us to emphasize spaces, surfaces, materials, etc. In all our projects the lighting created is as important as the natural light. 

How does lighting influence or how important is it in Mármoles Moyá?

In any interior design project, lighting plays a fundamental role, in this case thanks to the lighting, environments are created where the materials on display are highlighted with different intensities. The night lighting is especially important because the showroom is located next to a road where at night you can perfectly appreciate the marbles and stones. 

How was your collaboration with WorldLight?

Our experience with Worldlight in this project, and in all those we have collaborated with, was unbeatable. As always, Bernat and his team were involved in the development of proposals, adapting them according to the client's needs. I would highlight their flexibility, capacity and always constructive attitude to solve problems that may arise. Since we met Worldlight, they have become an essential partner in all our projects. It is a team of professionals with extensive and extensive experience in the lighting industry who are involved from minute one in the project. Without hesitation I would recommend them to any professional or even to any developer who shares the sensitivity for lighting.

Thank you Maria for taking care of us!