- Cork
- Diversity of Applications
Diversity of Aplications Endless Possibilities
Cork is an exceptional natural resource with endless possibilities. A significant investment in R&D and innovation has led to the development of new and unexpected applications for cork, adding value to an incomparable material.
All over the world, architects, designers, engineers, and scientists explore the potential of cork in a variety of fields. It is everywhere. From the floor beneath our feet to our most incredible dreams. In fashion and design objects. In buildings and bridges. In cars, chairs, surfboards, shoes, stadiums, airports, wind turbines, ship decks, walls, rugs, baseballs, dams, high-speed trains.
Cork is the quintessential 21st-century material, allying outstanding technical performance, unparalleled sustainability, premium features that enable myriad applications in the most diverse areas.
Cork is an exceptional natural resource with endless possibilities. A significant investment in R&D and innovation has led to the development of new and unexpected applications for cork, adding value to an incomparable material.
All over the world, architects, designers, engineers, and scientists explore the potential of cork in a variety of fields. It is everywhere. From the floor beneath our feet to our most incredible dreams. In fashion and design objects. In buildings and bridges. In cars, chairs, surfboards, shoes, stadiums, airports, wind turbines, ship decks, walls, rugs, baseballs, dams, high-speed trains.
Cork is the quintessential 21st-century material, allying outstanding technical performance, unparalleled sustainability, premium features that enable myriad applications in the most diverse areas.
Nature is blended with technology and boundless creativity
This was only possible because people believed, and dared to look at cork under an entirely new light. When nature blends with technology, and boundless creativity is at work, great things happen. A 100% natural raw material that humankind has been using for thousands of years since antiquity becomes the critical element of cutting-edge contemporary design and architecture masterpieces. A humble gift from nature is incorporated into state-of-the-art engineering solutions offering exceptional performance. The bark of a millenary tree becomes a work of art, surprising everyone with its versatility and beauty.
“For a material that has been used since antiquity, the Chameleon like versatility of cork is astonishing (...) thanks to its capacity for renewal and for adapting to new technological demands.”
Architects use cork in revolutionary ways
The 2012 Serpentine Gallery Pavillion, a collaborative project between architects Herzog & de Meuron and artist Ai Wei Wei, and the Portuguese Pavilion at the Shangai Expo, built entirely of cork, have used cork in revolutionary ways. There are many more examples, from the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, to Lisbon’s Cruise Port Terminal, a project by João Luís Carrilho da Graça where a new composite made of cork and white concrete makes a powerful statement, both structurally and visually.
In fact, cork is a much-valued option in sustainable construction, offering thermal and acoustic comfort, indoor air quality, unique aesthetics, and haptic properties.
“Cork is a natural material with wonderful haptic and olfactory qualities with the versatility to be carved, cut, shaped and formed”
Cork in fashion collections
The current challenge of bringing cork to the forefront of modern life has included great names of design such as Jasper Morrison, Inga Sempé, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, among many others. A preference that has grown to include prestige contemporary designer brands such as Vitra and Established & Sons. In fashion, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada, Stella McCartney, Dior, Manolo Blahnik, Costume National, Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci are proud to integrate it into their jewelry, clothing and footwear collections.
"Cork is a material which is certainly worthy of attention in design. Its appeal lies in the combination of its old-world appeal and new-world technical capabilities."
“Cork. Don’t leave earth without it”
An incomparable material for the 21st century, for cork, not even the sky is the limit. For decades NASA and the ESA - European Space Agency have chosen cork as a preferred partner, incorporating it into heat shields and plates lining their spacecraft, thus conferring to cork a vital role in the launch and successful operation of these vehicles.
