Gancedópolis by Plutarco: showcasing and celebrating 80 years of Gancedo

It's Gancedo’s 80th birthday and they’re celebrating it the way they know best: with a project that brings together tradition, design and great imagination. The Spanish soft furnishing design company has entrusted this extremely special occasion to the Plutarco studio, directed by Ana Arana and Enrique Ventosa, a creative duo who have spent a decade exploring the boundaries between architecture, art and design.

Since 2015, Plutarco has undertaken architecture, interior design and exhibition space projects, always with a flexible, experimental mindset. They love working with new techniques and different materials, as can be seen in each and every one of their works.

Their track record includes taking part in Fiera Milano, customized residential projects and participations as renowned as that of Casa Décor 2023, where their space for JUNG was awarded “2nd Mention for Best Project” in the Casa Décor Prizes. In this new venture with Gancedo, Plutarco have once again shown that design can be as much a way of thinking as a way of telling a story.

Gancedópolis: a city constructed using pieces designed by Plutarco

The project that Plutarco has come up with for Gancedo is called “Gancedópolis”, and the name is not coincidental. It’s an imaginary city built out of furniture, each piece inspired by the buildings hosting the different Gancedo stores around the world. So, a chair represents the Barcelona showroom, a lamp that of Madrid, a screen the Marbella one and an armchair the making up workshop in Cancún.

Each piece becomes an architectural microcosm, a small structure that helps this textile polis take shape.

The proposal arises from an idea that’s very typical of the studio: turning everyday objects into visual narrative scenarios. “Each design has a story behind it”, say Ana and Enrique. In Gancedópolis, that story is one of a brand that has grown to constitute a global “city” of design, a territory where textiles and creativity live side by side like natural-born citizens. 

Textures, colours and materials that speak to each other

The Gancedo showcase, turned into this symbolic city, is notable for its combination of materials and textures. Plutarco have worked with fabrics by Gancedo and other firms like Ian Mankin, Clarence House Sanderson and MindTheGap, using striped, geometrical and plain patterns.

The colour palette revolves around reds and blues, creating a bold yet balanced atmosphere evoking energy and stillness at the same time. In the background, a voile in graduated blue tones represents the sky of this quirky city.

The result is a space that arouses our visual curiosity. Each piece has its own personality, but they all talk to each other, building a coherent visual tale. As if architecture and textiles were joining hands to celebrate eight decades of mastery and innovation.

Gancedo: 80 years of passion for design

Behind this partnership lies a story of perseverance and progression.

Gancedo, founded in 1945, is a Spanish family firm that has understood how to stay at the forefront without sacrificing its roots. Today, in its fourth generation, it can still be relied on for quality, craftsmanship and sustainability.

Their catalogue includes not only fabrics but also wallpapers, rugs, trimmings and paints, always with the focus on durability and responsible design.

“Gancedópolis” is not just a showcase; it’s a living metaphor for what Gancedo embodies: a brand that has built a city of creativity, piece by piece. And with Plutarco as a guide, that city comes to life, full of colour and new ways of looking at how design can transform spaces…and ideas.

Photography: Germán Saiz