Agorà
Curated by Beatriz Sempere
Designer: Beatriz Sempere
Company: FiammettaV
AGORÀ is a design manifesto in which tradition becomes a form of hospitality. More than simply furnishing a space, the project generates value by fostering human connections and celebrating marble as a living, dynamic element of the urban landscape. These monolithic marble seats are more than pieces of street furniture: they are welcoming, organic forms that invite people to pause, meet and share experiences.
Rather than merely occupying space, AGORÀ acts as a catalyst for urban interaction. The project redefines the role of Carrara marble, transforming it from a static symbol of historic monumentality into a tactile interface for contemporary social life, restoring the public square as the vibrant heart of the community.
The project moves beyond the traditional distinction between a "noble material" and everyday use. By employing Carrara marble, AGORÀ explores a new formal language based on three key principles:
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Organic Ergonomics: Sculptural geometries replace architectural rigidity with forms that adapt naturally to the body, encouraging informal and sociable ways of sitting.
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Sense of Place: Bringing marble back into the heart of Carrara strengthens the city's identity, creating a bridge between its historic craftsmanship and a forward-looking vision of design.
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Technological Integration: The seating bases can incorporate concealed LED lighting. At night, this creates the illusion that the marble is floating, enhancing its natural veining while improving safety and the quality of the public space.
Impact Objectives
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Social Regeneration: Transform public spaces from places of transit into environments that encourage people to stay, interact and build relationships.
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Cultural Sustainability: Reinforce the inseparable bond between the city and its most iconic material, making Carrara marble an accessible and lived part of everyday urban life.
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Scalability and Versatility: Thanks to its modular and self-contained design, the installation can be adapted to a wide range of settings while preserving its distinctive identity.
The work
The Creator
Beatriz Sempere
Designer
Biography
Beatriz Sempere was born in Alicante, Spain, in 1975 and graduated in Industrial Design in Valencia in 1998. Throughout her career, she has taken part in numerous design competitions, receiving several awards and recognitions. She also completed a footwear pattern-making course at the Centro de Educación Tecnológica, while simultaneously designing products for leading companies.
Her greatest passion has always been the home and the way people experience it. This has led her to focus on researching forms that enrich contemporary interiors while anticipating the living spaces of the future.
In 2000, she moved to Italy, where she continued designing furniture and interior products in collaboration with several architectural practices. Her work combines the Spanish design tradition with a refined and harmonious aesthetic, characterised by clean lines, geometric forms and a distinctly Italian sensibility—romantic yet modern, rational and elegant.
Today, she collaborates with internationally recognised designers and leading companies, often serving as product art director. After several years designing bespoke and limited-edition furniture, her first industrially manufactured collection, Apelle, became one of her greatest successes. The collection now comprises thirteen pieces and received the Second Prize at the Edward Haimsohn Design Award in San Diego, California, recognising its originality, quality and excellence in Italian design. Her FRISÈ armchair was the first of her creations to gain international recognition beyond Europe.
Sempere first presented her work publicly at the Salone del Mobile in 2010, where her EMME table received an Honourable Mention. In 2017, her ZigZag project—interpreted by the designer as the "Line of Life"—was selected among the outstanding projects for the exhibition 20 Years of SaloneSatellite – Planets and Stars of New Creativity.
Her collaborations include CALMA, Italcomma, Loop&Co, MIDJ, BlackTie, PierLuigi Frighetto, Franco Poli, m.artedesign, Nicoline Italia, Twils, BW Bielefelder Werkstätten – JAB ANSTOETZ, Bontempi and Franco Ferri.