10 Designers Re-think Cork for 'Metamorphosis' at Lisbon's Experimenta Design Biennale _ Design _...

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DESIGN / 13 NOV 2013 / BY RUPERT EDEN

10 designers re-think cork for 'Metamorphosis'at Lisbon's Experimenta Design Biennale

You wouldn't expect a boundary-pushing design exhibition to revolve around a material as pedestrian ascork. But Metamorphosis, on show at the Jernimos monastery, near Belm west of Lisbon, is remarkablycutting-edge. The central show at Lisbon's Experimenta Biennale ( http://www.experimentadesign.pt/index-en.html) (EXD 13), Metamorphosis will not only do wonders for the country's reinvigorated corkindustry, but will also make its mark on the world of environmentally friendly design.

Portuguese cork company Amorim (http://www.amorim.com/en/home.php) enlisted ten internationaldesigners and architects for the exhibition, giving them carte blanche to create thought-provoking andinnovative examples of the material's reusability, biodegradability and versatility. In testing the merits ofthe zero-carbon material, they devised vast new terrain for cork.

Some of the models rendered the material virtually unrecognisable. A pair of cork shoes designed byJasper Morrison for Camper, for example, was a faithful reworking of the brand's first product from thelate 1920s and yet set a new standard in durability. Meanwhile, Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena,known for developing ideas and projects in the social field, presented two ideas: his 'Soft Monoliths'showed cork as an architectural skin to increase uniformity, and his set of comfortable cork clogs,

inspired by Dutch wooden clogs, reworked the shoe as a lighter, stronger, waterproof upgrade.

Among the more useful pieces were a set of door handles and a handrail designed by Portuguese architectEduardo Souto de Moura. Fellow Pritzker Prize winner lvaro Siza devised a nest of two cylindrical stools,ergonomically designed with impact absorption for maximum comfort. And architect Amanda Levetealso developed furniture in the form of a 'Cork Kit': two modular geometric pieces that, when combined,

INFORMATION

ADDRESS

Metamorphosis runs until 1 December at

Mostiero do Jernimos

(http://www.amorim.com

/en/cor_noticias_detail.php?aID=1539)

Mostiero do Jernimos

Praa do Imprio

1400-206 Lisbon

British architect Amanda Levete has developed a 'Cork Kit' for the Metamorphosis exhibition, comprising

elements that can be combined to form a stool, table, small stair or wall with soundproofing properties.

Photography: Pedro Sadio & Maria Ri ta @ That Image

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can be used as a stool, table, small stair or a wall element with soundproofing properties.

Other architects showed the benefits of the material for construction purposes, such as Swiss architectsJacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron (http://www.wallpaper.com/architecture/under-construction-prez-art-museum-miami-by-herzog-de-meuron/6476), who presented a cork maquette of theElbphilharmonie concert hall currently under construction in Hamburg(https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/index/projects/complete-works/226-250/230-elbphilharmonie-hamburg/IMAGE.html). Another eye-catching example came courtesy of Joo Lus Carrilho da Graa,who is fusing cork with concrete to use in the vast new cruise-ship terminal he has designed for Lisbon.According to Graa, the symbiosis between cork and concrete is the genesis of a new, lighter, moreinsulating and aesthetically pleasing material.

Metamorphosis is one of a rich series of exhibitions and conferences from participants from 24 countries(http://www.experimentadesign.pt/2013/en/01-04-00.html) during EXD13, which takes the theme of 'NoBorders' and runs until close to Christmas. The programme also includes a sneak preview of the newcoach museum by Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha and a tropical garden show, titledUnmapping the World, at the Palcio dos Condes da Calheta.

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10 Designers Re-think Cork for 'Metamorphosis' at Lisbon's Experimenta Design Biennale _ Design _...

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