KÝKLOSDÉNDRON Installation at Milan Design Week
2022
Milan, Italy
with Boito Sarno Architects
Sustainability and the ecological transition were the key themes of the 60th edition of the Salone del Mobile in Milan. Presented at Milan Design Week’s Fuorisalone in via Solferino 11, one the most visited buildings as it hosts some of the most prestigious brands, such as Boffi, Salvatori, Paola C. and DIMORESTUDIO, KÝKLOSDÉNDRON (tree cycle) is a room within a room that offers an unexpected vantage point inside a charming Milanese apartment from the early 1800s. We designed this installation entirely made of wood and cork showing the potential of rediscovering traditional materials in a modern idiom.
Presented in a large infographic at Milan Design Week, this pyramid of materials highlights the huge amounts of carbon emitted in the extraction, production and transportation of commonly used construction materials. Aluminium is at the top with over 28,000 kg of CO2 per sqm of material, followed by other metals, concrete, petrol-based materials, tiles and bricks. Natural materials such as timber and cork, are at the base of the pyramid because they remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store it, in a process called ‘sequestration’.
The installation explored the theme of embodied carbon, highlighting the importance of using biomaterials. The many visitors who came to visit us showed a strong interest in cork, which we presented using two very different Tecnosugheri products: Corkpan and Corkgran. Our design seeks to showcase the aesthetic and sensory aspects of this beautiful material. We met designers, fashion designers, architects and industry leaders who saw cork from a different point of view and were keen to associate this wonderful material with their products and brands.
Photos by Alberto Bortoluzzi
The installation has a tactile element, with visitors invited to walk barefoot on a cork ‘pebbles’ walkway. Cleverly engineered with standardised modules that can be easily assembled and disassembled, it does not use metal elements. Studio Tetti Stalletti provided the timber frame which employs traditional Japanese woodworking techniques but uses highly technological CNC machinery and CAD to optimise cutting and minimise waste, using engineered timber elements. Tecnosugheri provided the cork panels which are produced without any added chemicals. These have very good acoustic and thermal properties and regulate moisture, making them ideal insulating materials. KÝKLOSDÉNDRON is a concept that Boito Sarno Architects apply both to architecture and design, ranging from houses to furniture.