Hundreds of blocks of expanded cork agglomerate are the main material used in the new Eurovision Village, which will host the parallel programming of the Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon, with the aim of involving the city's population and tourists. Developed by Mood studio, the project for the lounge’s set design was supported by Corticeira Amorim, via Amorim Isolamentos.
Cristina Andrade, Coordinator of Eurovision Village, explains that "we selected cork for this space because it’s a classic Portuguese raw material. This would be sufficient to select it for an event of this nature, but cork is also 100% ecological, comfortable, multifunctional, versatile, and aesthetically very pleasing. "
She adds: "With this set of arguments, it was easy to convince the international organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest that cork was the ideal material for the space and involve Amorim Isolamentos, whose support was essential for this result."
According to Rita Muralha and Raul Santos, managers of Mood studio, "Amorim played a decisive role in the design of the Euro Village lounge and terrace area. We used pressed cork blocks, normally used for insulation projects, that we used to create small walls and furniture. These massive, freestanding blocks are ideal for such temporary projects. They almost function as a giant LEGO kit, giving an extremely contemporary final appearance. In addition, cork is a 100% natural Portuguese material and given that the project is integrated within an event of major international visibility, it makes sense to publicise and promote our national products. "
Typically used as an insulation solution in sustainable construction projects, expanded cork agglomerate is an excellent raw material for interior design projects.
Over recent years, it has also been used in many events, organised from Portugal, with major international projection. Examples include the Archi Summit, a project that involved Manuel Aires Mateus and the SAMI architecture studio in the famous canopy of the Pavilion of Portugal, the José Neves’ Square in the Summer for the CCB, or Moda Lisboa, a project also coordinated by Mood studio.
Carlos Manuel Oliveira, Managing Director of Amorim Isolamentos, commented: "Once again, it’s a great pleasure to see cork, an eminently high-quality material, in an event that will welcome delegations from all over the world, enabling them to come into contact with this raw material. The Eurovision Song Contest projects Portugal and its culture, and the decision to associate cork to the event therefore seemed to be perfectly natural."
Eurovision Village is located in the Praça do Comércio, Lisbon, and between May 4-12 will host all the preparations for this mega event and the interviews leading up to the Festival, which this year will be held in Portugal.
