The Universidad Santo Tomás project covers the interior design and furniture for a new university building in Bogotá, Colombia. The project was developed between 2018 and 2019 across approximately 8,000 square metres and extends over all eight above-ground floors of a building designed by Eduardo Samper.
The aim was to create a unified and recognisable identity for the new campus, organising environments for teaching, study, work and social life. In a university building, circulation and meeting spaces are as important as classrooms: they are places where relationships, interdisciplinary exchange and informal learning develop.
Studio Lauria proposed a minimal language in which colour and materials become highly distinctive elements. Reduced forms and compositional clarity support orientation within the multi-level building, while variations in colour and material help differentiate functions and make the spaces welcoming.
The project interprets interior design as the creation of a complete experience rather than simple decoration. Functionality, comfort, identity and flexibility shape a contemporary educational environment able to adapt over time to evolving teaching methods and the changing needs of the university community.
Aware of the challenges of globalisation, we draw on Italian creativity to develop projects that respect and enhance local identities and cultures.
