Miguel Milá’s pivotal role in the contemporary history of Catalan and Spanish design is unmistakable. As a member of a pioneering generation of designers from the early 1950s, his creations for everyday use have become enduring classics.

The Gold Medal of the City of Barcelona adds to the many accolades Milá earned throughout his sixty-year career, including the National Award for Industrial Design in its inaugural year, 1987, multiple Delta de Oro and Delta de Plata awards from the ADI-FAD, the Good Industrial Design award (1994), the Compasso d’Oro Internazionale (2008) and others.

A career with international reach

Milá’s journey began with the founding of his company, Tramo, where he designed his own furniture and lamps. His work garnered significant international acclaim, with his TMC and TMM lights becoming design icons. In the 1960s, he took part in establishing the Industrial Design Association for the Promotion of Arts and Design (ADI-FAD).

During the postmodern era, Milá shifted his focus to interior design, private residences, exhibitions and urban furniture design. Noteworthy projects from this period include the Neorromántico bench (1995), the Estadio light, and the Tramo bench for the 1992 Olympic Games, as well as the design of subway car interiors. His legacy in the city is also evident in the Rambla de Sants gardens and the integration of urban furniture in the city’s green spaces, which foster social interaction.