Origo: From Hollywood to the British kitchen table – the surprising journey of a word
It’s a small word, just five letters. But once you start listening out for it, Origo pops up everywhere. This week came the news that made the entire film industry sit up and take notice. Not in Hollywood, but in Budapest. That’s where Origo Studios, one of Europe’s largest film production facilities, has just brought a huge new investment online. We’re talking about a solar panel industrial park spanning 44,000 square metres.
This isn’t just any solar park. This is Hollywood’s green future, for real. Those working there know it’s a game changer. For the first time, a studio of this size can power its productions largely on its own self-generated, renewable energy. I’ve been speaking to people in the industry who say this will be the model going forward. When the big Californian companies start calculating their carbon footprint, suddenly a place like Origo becomes incredibly attractive for filming. It’s not just about being kind to the environment; it’s about staying ahead of the curve.
From the silver screen to the kitchen table
But for us here in the UK, what does Origo actually mean? For many of us, it’s first and foremost a design classic. I’m talking, of course, about the Iittala Origo plate orange 26 cm. That plate that’s been a staple in every everyday British home since the 90s. It was designed by Harri Koskinen, but it actually has a longer history. The designers behind the original series, which launched back in 1997, managed to create something unique. They captured a sense of movement and warmth right in the heart of Nordic minimalism. That clear orange colour, almost like a sunrise on a plate, has a way of making any meal look just that little bit more special.
I have my own theory that this plate is one of the few possessions that actually gets handed down. You bought it when you got your first proper kitchen, and now your kids are eating from the same plate. I think that’s rather lovely. It’s a different kind of origo – a kind of starting point for the home.
The origin of language – where everything leads back to
Then, of course, there’s the literal meaning. The origin of language. The word Origo comes from Latin and means exactly that: ‘source’, ‘origin’ or ‘beginning’. In mathematics, it’s the zero point on a coordinate grid, where the x and y axes meet. Everything starts there. And when I think about it, that’s probably why the word carries so much weight. Whether it’s about a film empire building its future on solar power, or about finding a sense of home in a piece of design, it’s all about getting back to the core.
There’s another person who bore this name and deserves a mention: Iris Origo. She was an Anglo-Irish writer and biographer who lived in Italy during the war. Her diaries from that time are some of the most unflinching accounts of everyday courage you’ll find. She wrote about finding humanity in the midst of chaos. Her life, too, was about finding the origin – of morality, of responsibility.
Three ways to look at Origo right now
- The industrial: Origo Studios in Budapest shows that sustainability and blockbuster filmmaking go hand in hand. This is the new standard, and it’s already here.
- The everyday: The Iittala Origo plate orange 26 cm is more than just a plate. It’s a timeless symbol that good design lasts for generations.
- The philosophical: Whether we’re talking about language, maths or history, Origo stands for the starting point. The only question is: where's yours?
So next time you hear someone mention Origo, whether it’s in a news report about the latest star-studded film shot in Hungary, or when you’re setting the table for dinner on that classic plate, you’ll know it’s all about the same thing. It’s about beginnings. And sometimes, just like in Budapest, it’s about creating a brand new one.