Barbora Škorpilová
Why are you interested in architecture and design, was it an obvious choice from your childhood?
It was not, I loved doing graphics and illustrating books. But life led me to SUPŠ in Prague's Zizkov. There I was at the very beginning of the 1st year humanely and professionally addressed by architect Miloš Beran, head of the department "Design and construction of furniture". At the end of the 4th year he took me to a lecture hold by architect Borek Sipek in Prague Savarin. Objects that he presented, had their own story, not only function. They mixed together the seemingly incompatible materials, from food made the ceremony, from a chair the object, from silver cutlery a jewel. This fateful experience, the atmosphere of the time and personality Borek Sipek then finally decided of my career.
Mimolimit is the concise name of your studio, how the name came into the world and how the studio?
Already during my studies I started working on small jewels designs. I designed it as a small architectural models that were made mechanically. People liked them. Gradually began arriving next orders to create furniture elements, later the whole interiors. I can say that I gradually grew up thanks to my clients. My orders increased and it was necessary to find a way to cope with that. I started cooperating with my colleague classmate Jan Nedved. Within a few years we were a small team but without a name. In 2001 we officially have established Mimolimit. We were looking for a name for the expression of all that is beyond the everydayness, sort of the beauty of unity in diversity...
« White door and black fitting are timeless »
What do you prefer architecture or design?
I can not say that I would something prefer, but maybe I am lucky enough to mingle with me both at the same time. We work constantly on larger and larger orders and they give us the opportunity to solve within the architecture many design elements. Knowledge of materials, technology and art to deal with the details is our priority. For a better idea, I can mention, for example, a wide range of ceilings, wall coverings, door handles, as well as a collection of control buttons, for which we have won the Red Dot Award 2014.
What is your favourite realization product?
I treat all equally and I haven not more or less popular. Every architectural realization or individual design concept
is the result of cooperation with our clients which I believe in. Our clients coming back to us again.
They have more confidence and courage to experiment and a lot of things we do not have to tediously explain ...
This brings even more space for design. I used to say that I like doing hotels, but shortly afterwards came the offer
for interior office building. It was a new challenge for us, very interesting for all of us and I think that is
reflected in the result.
Now, the door handles, what are the most inspirational for you?
Currently, I get more and more orders, where I enter into a dialogue with a historical building. We are probably getting old together with our clients, but I love doing that. I try to understand a lot and I learn very much too. Things that I previously overlooked - hinges, stops, stone jambs are in most cases very inspiring. The authors of these details can be found out only a few decades back. Today, they are nameless works that affect our lives immensely. Of the current handles I like those from Jean Nouvel, Lina Bo Bardi or Alvar Aalto.. but also a lot of the old ones, where we do not know the authors names any more.
And what about the handle shapes, round or square?
I prefer the "round" and I personally like the combination with wood. But even square-looking handle can be pleasant when
the edges are made correctly round. Currently I prefer black, brass, bronze .. but this is just a consequence of the large
amount of stainless steel and aluminium that surround us. All of materials are nice, it depends how you combine them.
But when we work on standards - residential buildings, I prefer colours by the door and fittings, which allows clients
to combine any colour scheme of the interior. White door and black fitting are timeless.
From the cooperation of your studio and M&T was in the past created particularly timeless collection of door handles and accessories.
Will be something similar follow?
The handle MIMOLIMIT 2009 was created for my client. He wanted a wooden handle and I could not find it anywhere.
I watched and used M & T handles before. That is why I asked M&T to create together a new handle .. and succeeded.
The handle was realized and now open our doors. Thanks to a new technology could be created a new wooden round series
with legible shaping 2015.
Can you tell us on what orders is your studio currently working?
Yes of course. As I already mentioned we get more and more into a dialogue with the historical objects and their extensive background.. fields, parks, stables, riding halls ... For the first time in the history of our studio, we get a chance to influence the landscape and look over the edge of the life of the current generations. It is an amazing feeling, but also a great responsibility. After a period of generous projects and buildings (office buildings, hotels, and residential buildings) we gradually enter into the world of architecture and design new for us, requiring a higher degree of humility, tolerance and respect for the skills of previous generations. It is a new challenge for me personally a new degree of knowledge and we are very happy for that.
