Gie El – the caring spirit of the place
Gie El – the caring spirit of the place called by the Ancients genius loci. Maria and Jacek Rypuła are a married couple of Polish architects who change genius loci by all means. Both were born in 1983. They met in high school to complete their architectural studies at the Krakow school of architecture. The artistic milieu of Krakow itself and its architectural orientation shaped them as designers. Soon after graduation, they founded their own design studio, which gave birth to a brand of original interior design products – Gie El.
Sculpture-like installations
The combination of artistic sensitivity with architectural foundations gave birth to the ability to create spatial interior installations. One of the first creative installations by Maria and Jacek was a composition of rusty geometric forms. The composition, inspired by soaring birds, has become a permanent feature of the Gie El brand portfolio. Noticed by customers, it settled in hotels, restaurants and boutique private interiors. Many years of work with clients from all over the world have resulted in projects not only in Europe, but also beyond it, reaching America or the Middle East.
Chandeliers that provide emotions
The experience of working in various fields of design allowed the brand to notice a certain niche in the interior design market, namely the simultaneous design and production of installations. The Gie El brand has focused on products that provide emotions. The sculptural nature of the products is the common denominator of the Gie El portfolio. Lighting compositions created by the brand build spaces of contemplation and free interpretation, adding an element of art to the interiors in which they appear.
Lighting with a rythm of the heartbeat
Maria Rypuła talks about how they work, where they get their inspiration and how working with a client looks like. “We are very happy to work with people, listen to their needs and understand the interior that we are supposed to fit into. We live by the concept of genius loci and we make sure that the caring spirit of the place is present in the interiors that we co-create after all, “says Maria Rypuła and adds” our work is to breathe the design interior and constantly search for a common rhythm of the heartbeat of the lighting installation and the space in which we sign in. Each interior has its own specificity, a specific DNA code that we try to read so that the installation, regardless of whether it is a unique lamp, chandelier or any artistic expression, remains in a specific relationship with it. Understanding the interior design is crucial. When we start working on the project, we take care of talking to the architects of the facility and investors. We are looking for an answer to the question about the target user of the place. And this regardless of whether it is a hotel, restaurant, apartment, shop or other boutique place. This allows us to feel the emotions of the interior and create a unique tailor-made product. Customers and interior designers like the fact that we can freely create the intensity and color of light, the material used or the size of the composition. It gives us full control over the emotions we want to create. Our work is not only about selling a product to the customer, but about building emotions and atmosphere. We use our design roots and many years of product experience to be a valuable partner for our customers and architects. We build relationships with them and we know how to create a product saturated with emotional depth. It often happens that we get on a plane or a car to be able to appear in the interior that we have to take care of. This is the first step. It is then time to talk and build a relationship with the client. Breaking the first contact barrier is crucial for good cooperation. The modern world has become very small, today you are in Paris, tomorrow in London or Dubai. And this gives you the opportunity to work directly with wonderful people”, says Maria.
Unique design – amazing light
Gie El implements sculptural lighting installations full of emotions, which are a unique accent in the interior. Local, sustainable production allows the brand to create environmentally responsible products. The brand uses European raw materials, taking care of the conscious selection of materials. Hence, the brand’s portfolio includes products made by local craftsmen who blow glass, or carpenters who create wooden components. Transparency of the entire process gives you full awareness of the origin of the product and knowledge of the craftsmen behind a specific raw material. Good design is not a shortcut and requires conscious taking every step from the design and selection of a component, through its proper assembly, packaging, and ending with energy consumption. So if you are looking for a unique installation for your interior or project you’re working on and you want to create an extraordinary space, the Gie El brand is for you. Let yourself be invited to the world of Gie El, where sculptural lighting installations filled with incredible emotions await you.
