Presented in 2024 and updated with new elements in 2025, Merlate explores the boundary between architecture and design. While the name evokes the battlements of medieval towers, the shapes draw on elements typical of industrial buildings. Each piece is conceived as a micro-architecture, alternating solid and void to create visual tension. The edges are finished in colours that contrast with the base, which gives the composition a strong graphic presence.

Patricia Urquiola is among the most celebrated and awarded contemporary designers. She founded her studio in 2001, with projects spanning architecture, product design, urban planning and communication. Her work blends traditional aesthetic codes, high craftsmanship and technological innovation. Bitossi Ceramiche produces Merlate in Montelupo Fiorentino, where the company was founded in 1921. This is the most compact of the Merlate vases, and it pairs well with the bowls and small tables of the same collection.