EXPO REVESTIR and forum in sao paulo 2013

 ‘stonescape’ kengo kuma installation for il casone

the 4-day expo REVESTIR trade show, held at the transamerica expo center in sao paolo, brazil from the 11th to the 14th of march 2013, exhibits the latest innovations in finishing solutions and materials from ceramic, glass and mosaic tiles through to industrial machinery and equipment.

the expo showcases the largest domestic and international brands of the construction industry, featuring projects by well-known architects such as kengo kuma for il casone, campana brothers for cosentino and international super brands like laufen and hansgrohe – enabling a fortification and development of the construction industry as a whole.

240 exhibitors from all over the world and 45,000 visitors from a diverse range of professional backgrounds – including architects, interior designers, retailers and distributors, builders and international buyers – attended the event from 60 countries worldwide, including italy, spain, portugal, japan, israel, USA, switzerland, germany, england, the arab emirates, czech republic, argentina, indonesia and pakistan.

the show is considered latin america’s main event in the industry that not only fosters a more informed, up-to-date dialogue with domestic covering manufacturers, but also encourages a greater cultural and industrial diversity within the design community, and, in particular, showcased the strength of brazilian production.

detail of kengo kuma’s installation for il casone

among the many intriguing spaces we spotted il casone – leader in the industry of extraction and processing of pietra forte fiorentina – that in collaboration with kengo kuma showed a lytic landscape where natural and artificial elements coexist in an awe-inspiring scenery. water models the space in curve and convex lines, drawing liquid shapes that transform the surfaces from matt to shiny, and urges the onlooker to gently caress them.

fórum internacional de arquitetura & construção

INTERNATIONAL FORUM OF ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTIONdesignboom was invited to present at a special event run alongside the expo – the 11th international forum of architecture and construction – a annual highlight of REVESTIR which attracts over 3, 000 professionals. 

first image /the press conference (left to right):  birgit lohmann dsignboom,  kengo kuma,  antonio carlos kieling pres. EXPO REVESTIR + FORUM,  michael rumpf gail, pres. admin. ANFACER;  lauro andrade, director EXPO REVESTIR + FORUM.second and third images: the conference and the 1000-people-audience

among the line up of renowned names from the world of architecture and design that spoke at the forum was celebrated japanese architect kengo kuma, japanese interior designer yukio hashimoto, dutch architect hugo mulder (ARUP), edwin heathcote,  architecture critic of the financial times and designboom’s very own editor-in-chief birgit lohmann.

architect kengo kuma, JAPAN

the fist lecture was by kengo kuma – he discussed the role of natural materials in construction and interior design.‘landscape, in a slow and natural manner, should be transformed into the built object. the importance of local traditional materials such as stone, wood and bamboo in conjunction with the work of traditional craftsmen also stimulates local economy.’ he said.

interior designer yukio hashimoto, JAPAN

next was a lecture addressed by japanese interior designer yukio hashimoto entitled ‘east inspirations – japan’s style and design’ – hashimoto engaged the audience with his innovative ideas explaining how to create modern spaces, providing balance with ancient materials and special effects through the means of natural light studies.

birgit lohmann, designboom editor-in-chief, ITALY

designboom presented an overview of designboom’s magazine production and ended the lecture with a trend report on the future of interior design.

the presentation met kengo kuma’s ‘natural approach’ and hashimoto’s ‘magical appearance of materiality’. also, investigating sustainability and eco-friendly architecture, both were the two major launching trends at EXPO REVESTIR 2013. day after day, solutions and initiatives that help to decrease the environmental impact, either through the manufacturing process (decrease of raw materials and co2 emissions), employed technology or reuse of materials, gain more and more ground. highlights comprise coverings that use recycled materials such as, recycled glass from fluorescent lamps and waste from TV and computer screens; eco-friendly bathrooms (toilets that work with a lesser amount of water; urinals that work with no need of water, and use of low-consumption led-lighting in cabinets and bathtubs); other material residues used as components in the manufacturing process of other products, such as sanitary ware and flooring made of 100% reforested wood, among others.

engineer hugo mulder (ARUP), THE NETHERLANDS

hugo mulder talked about his experience as a senior engineer with ARUP’s advanced technology + research london group.

edwin heathcote, architecture critic FT /financial times, UK

 edwin heathcote elaborates on how architecture makes its way into the news and asks whether glass and steel towers are right for our cities skyline.

 pedro ariel santana, fernanda marques, hugo frança, and maurice queiroz

 ‘ABD – brasilidade (the brazilian way) across borders – brazilian interior design in foreign lands’ with fernanda marques, hugo frança, and maurice queiroz– a panel that presented and discussed the experience of overseas professionals and the response to brazilian architects and designers in the foreign market.moderated by pedro ariel santana from brazilian casa claudia magazine.

overview of new materials and products on show by local manufacturers like portobello, decortiles, and the experimental work by the campana brothers for cosentino, …

    silestone, the worldwide leader of quartz surfaces showed high definition printing, which gained room during the event’s last edition and seems to be a strong trend for next years. digital print technology allows the reproduction of a wide range of natural materials, such as wood and stone, and their esthetic characteristics including grains, textures and tones. reproductions and inspirations appear in varied materials and continuously amaze us due to its color, texture and image.

EXPO REVESTIR 20135 to 8 march, 2013venue: transamerica expo center, são paulo, brazil