What a Corker

David Miller - Wednesday, October 19, 2011

As the only tree whose bark can regenerate itself after harvest – allowing a typical cork oak tree to be harvested up to 20 times during its life cycle – cork is a vital sustainable resource. 

In Portugal, which produces more than half of the world's cork, strong emphasis is placed on maintaining cork plantations and promoting the material's value.

In 2010 the world's largest cork company, the Portuguese-based Amorim, invited design cooperative Experimentadesign to devise an initiative that raised the profile of cork and explored bold new uses of the material. This led to Materia, a collection of 22 objects by 10 designers. Functionality and personality were the 2 key components of the brief. Designers were encouraged to consider the aesthetic, technical and sustainable benefits of cork, all the while creating with the end user in mind.

Unveiled at the 2011 Milan Furniture Fair, Materia brings cork into the everyday – a tactile, useful albeit quirky assortment of objects that allows cork to be seen from an entirely new perspective.


Credit: materia.amorim.com