At the Milan Design Week, Finnish company DURAT unveiled DURAT Plus, the world’s first commercially available solid surface composed of up to 80% recycled materials. This groundbreaking material, along with the company’s other offerings, took centre stage in the PORTA DEI COLORI installation at Alcova Milano in Villa Bagatti Valsecchi.
The installation was a polyphony of bold colours and essential forms in an exciting fusion of design and beauty. Almost a work of abstract art, it juxtaposed geometric elements in different scales, to become true architectural walls and furniture that seem to emerge plastically from the material. Designed for DURAT by Finnish designer Linda Bergroth, PORTA DEI COLORI rose between the columns of the North Gate of Milan’s Lazzaretto, relocated in the late 1800s to the exterior of Villa Bagatti Valsecchi.
In harmony and at the same time in inspiring contrast with the historic architecture that hosts it, PORTA DEI COLORI recounts DURAT’s research around sustainability, generating surprising and extremely versatile creative solutions. A vast palette of more than 300 colours, enhanced by original grit effects for ever-changing patterns. Warm, silky textures and heat- and water-resistant surfaces for materials and furnishings that are transversal to every type of contract space, from schools to public bathrooms, from retail to offices, to domestic scenarios, in indoor and outdoor settings. With the added security of EPD certification, which DURAT has obtained for its commitment to monitoring and reducing its environmental impact.
Prominent within the installation is a large monochrome table made of DURAT Plus, marking a major new milestone for the Finnish company’s research. DURAT Plus is the world’s first commercially available solid surface material combining recycled PET resin and recycled solid surface. The result is a distinctive appearance of a solid surface, containing up to 80% recycled materials.
A pioneer in the circular economy, the company has always worked to free the world from waste and plastic and transform it into pure beauty through creations that are a source of continuous inspiration for architects and designers who share the principles of ethical and responsible design.
