Cork Lounge Chair and Ottoman by guilherme jardim from portugal

Cork is one of the most appreciated natural products. For three centuries cork has established a relationship with wine, and most recent with different kind of products, that has guaranteed it a remarkable place in the universe of cultural references.
Cork is a versatile material. A quarter of the cork production is used in the manufacture of cork closures, this share generates about 70% of the industry’s income. However it can be easily used in other things, such as floor panels, art and design, etc.
Cork is extremely ecological, “Plant a cork oak forest for your grandchildren”, the wise country folk say. They know that their future and the future of their descendants are dependent not only on the harvesting of cork, but also on maintaining the amazingly rich environmental biodiversity of the cork forests and even the balance of the climate itself. Besides its capacity to produce oxygen, the cork oak has a unique cell structure that enables it to retain carbon dioxide, the principle cause of global warming.
My main objective was to show how ecological and simple materials can be used in design and how important is design for the development of this sustainable industry.
Cork is an amazing material, natural, very ecological and very strong visually.
Cork is a cheap and recyclable material and design is a strong tool for the development of the cork industry.
Beautiful, simple and ecological were the key words for the development of this project.
The chair is simple but with beautiful curves, inspired in the nature and in the sinuous and organic lines of the Art Nouveau.
The chair is extremely ergonomic, design to give an extreme comfort to the user.