Born in London to a Catalan father and an English mother, he moved with his family to Barcelona in 1960. After beginning his studies in Philosophy, he trained in art at East Ham College and Cardiff Arts School (United Kingdom).
Upon his return to Barcelona in 1978, he founded the music promotion company Free Difusión, and soon became interested in design, collaborating with Carles Riart on interior design and lighting projects. This collaboration resulted in the La Colilla lamp, one of his first emblematic designs.
During the 1980s he developed Numerous interior design and lighting projects in Barcelona venues such as Boliche, La Xampanyeria, Café del Sol, Al Dente, and Fonda Europa, where he created the Fonda lamp and system. His work at the Bijou cocktail bar was a finalist for the FAD Awards in 1983, and the iconic Sí Sí screens and Florón Sí Sí, produced by Santa & Cole, originated from the Sí Sí bar.
In 1985, together with Nina Masó and Javier Nieto Santa, he founded Santa & Cole, a company that contributed to the internationalization of Barcelona design. He co-edited pioneering pieces such as Columbus's Egg and Sleeping Beauty, which explored new forms of light and color.
A pioneer in the defense of warm, reflected light, the use of natural materials, and a poetic approach to lighting, Ordeig left a decisive mark on contemporary design. After his death in 1994, his legacy was honored with the publication of the book Gabriel Ordeig Cole (Santa & Cole and ETSAB, 2005).