How the Mariya Sofa by Philippe Starck Creates More with Less

With armrests that double as shelves, Philippe Starck designed the Mariya sofa for Andreu World to be simply functional. The expert craftsmanship of Andreu World ensures Philippe’s concept reaches its goal: to accomplish as much as possible with as little as possible.

“Mariya is not a sofa, it is a philosophy. The philosophy of the elegance of the minimum, of the square root of things. Two wooden boxes, three beams, four planks, no screws or bolts. We could have done it ourselves, except Andreu World does it better,” Philippe says.

Mariya’s oak plywood foundation takes a cue from traditional cabinetmaking with an interlocking system of joints made entirely from wood—no nuts or bolts. Made to comply with the strictest international standards and certifications, the collection of sofas is manufactured for the circular economy. Shell, foam, fabrics, and wooden elements easily part to be reused and recycled at the end of the sofa’s life.

“You can assemble and disassemble the entire collection, and all of the parts can be replaced. Starck is pushing the boundaries of what a “flat pack” could be. We used no screws at all,” Jesus Linares, CEO at Andreu World, told Sixtysix at NeoCon 2022. Like all of Andreu World’s products, Mariya is made from 100% FSC wood. The collection is one step toward the company’s commitment to bring all of their materials and processes into the circular economy by 2025.

The collection of Mariya sofas includes a two-seater and a three-seater sofa, as well as an armchair. Though the chair lacks the functional shelf arms, all three pieces of the Mariya collection champion the same idea: “Having less is always more, more, and more,” Philippe says.