In the context of the 2023 edition of the London Design Festival (LDF), Corticeira Amorim is proud to announce a partnership with the designer Simone Brewster, that aims to highlight cork’s unique characteristics in London, that for a few days will become the world capital of design and creativity.
From September 15-24, the City of London is exhibiting the installation "The Spirit of Place" at The Strand, Aldwych. The installation consists of five large-scale sculptures, designed by Simone Brewster, which emphasise the confluence between art and sustainability through cork.
On her visit to Corticeira Amorim in early 2023, Simone gained her first direct experience of Corticeira Amorim's integrated and circular business model, through a visit to the cork oak forest, the company’s main industrial units, the i-cork factory and learning about sustainable cork products and solutions. As Simone explains the project began and was inspired by the Herdade de Rio Frio estate, where she observed the cork harvest and Corticeira Amorim's ambitious Forestry Intervention Project. Through this project, the designer has effectively become an ambassador for this natural and sustainable material. Her sculptures, each around 2.5 metres high, incorporate a visual language inspired by the cork oak tree’s unique characteristics, such as its resistance to drought, regenerative capacity and role in biodiversity conservation. Each work includes different compositions of cork, varying in texture, density, granularity and colour.
Cristina Rios Amorim, Director and CFO of Corticeira Amorim, considers that the project highlights "the vital role that Corticeira Amorim plays in the conservation of cork oak forests and in supporting the revitalisation of the biodiversity of this ecosystem - one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots", reinforcing the raw material’s sustainability: "cork is a natural, renewable and totally recyclable organic fabric", and "its composition endows it with a truly unique set of properties, such as acoustic and thermal insulation, impermeability to liquids and gases, fire resistance, lightness, malleability and shock absorption."
Simone Brewster explained that her visit to Portugal and Corticeira Amorim was a revelation. "Getting to know the cork oak forest and understanding the relevance of cork in today's environmental context was truly transformative. I came back to London with a new sense of purpose, with the desire to create works that would give me the opportunity to talk about the important work that Corticeira Amorim is conducting to preserve and enhance this magical forest."
Cristina Rios Amorim says that "Spirit of Place" is more than an impressive artistic installation: it invites visitors to immerse themselves in its harmony, to experience its tactile and olfactory dimensions, while recognising the role played by cork and Corticeira Amorim in the fight against climate change". She also emphasises that support for architectural and design initiatives that have a major international impact "is key and strategic in Corticeira Amorim's ongoing commitment to highlighting the properties and added value of this unique raw material, making it available to those who today are designing the cities of the future, prioritising comfort and well-being, safety and inclusion, functionality and sustainability."
Credits: Ed Reeve
