MATERIALS MATTER 2023 EXHIBITION

On 13 and 14 June 2023, the most innovative and sustainable materials for architecture and interior design came together at Materials Matter 2023 Exhibition, the event organised by Matter at the Barcelona headquarters of the Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC, the Catalan Association of Architects) on plaça Nova.

Manufacturers, architects, interior designers and the specialist press shared two days in which innovative, sustainable and environmentally committed materials and products were exhibited, all aimed at moving the materiality of projects forward. In this report we look at the spaces of the event, the exhibiting brands and what some of the studios said during the programme of talks.

Materials Matter 2023 Exhibition2:22

Three spaces at the COAC headquarters

Exhibition, talks and a terrace for conversation.

For this edition, Matter moved the exhibition to the recently renovated COAC headquarters on plaça Nova and organised it in two adjoining, complementary spaces, plus the building’s terrace. Entry was free with prior registration, and both days ran from 10 am to 8 pm.

• Sala Picasso: the exhibition area, where brands showed their materials and talked with visitors.
• Conference room: the continuous programme of talks by architecture and interior design studios over the two days.
• Terrace: overlooking Barcelona Cathedral, set aside for breaks and networking between talks.

Thirty-two brands and their materials

From hemp-and-lime blocks to taps.

At Materials Matter 2023 Exhibition, the thirty-two participating companies, from different parts of Spain and from countries such as Italy, Israel, Switzerland, Finland and Sweden, met professionals to present their new products and hear the needs that architecture projects raise today. According to Interempresas’ report, the event drew more than 650 visitors.

Among the materials on show were hemp-and-lime blocks, recycled plastic, handmade glass, timber cladding, flexible wood acoustic insulation, hybrid mesh solutions for façade enclosures, porcelain ventilated façade systems, recycled vinyl flooring, textured microcement finishes, thin terrazzo, parquet, lime paints, large-format porcelain, natural stone, latest-generation melamines, handmade ceramics, bathroom products, taps and electrical switches, among others.

What each brand presented

These are each exhibitor’s specialities as presented in 2023, according to the event preview published by Tectónica and, where applicable, the manufacturer’s own information:

Cleaf and Latho took part through Deco/in, which appears as a single brand in the final list of participants.

Some thirty talks on design and materiality

Established and emerging studios, many in dialogue with a brand.

Alongside the exhibition area, visitors could follow a continuous programme of talks – almost thirty, according to the programme – by established and emerging architecture and interior design practices, who shared recent projects with new and sustainable materialities. Many sessions paired a brand with the studio that had used its materials on site; others were short presentations by a manufacturer.

Tuesday 13 June

Wednesday 14 June

What some of the studios said

Recycled materials, glass, timber, rice straw and raw earth.

The report Interempresas published after the event covered several of the talks. These are the main ideas, as that publication related them:

Deardesign Studio — Entertainment Science Campus, Madrid

Ignasi Llauradó, CEO and creative director of Deardesign, a Barcelona-based design and interiors studio that builds its projects around recycled materials, presented the Entertainment Science Campus in Madrid. Its atrium is conceived as a modular agora with benches, tiered seating and side tables made from Revolución Limo’s recycled plastic, in collections whose colours recall confetti.

B720 — Glass on the façade

Fermín Vázquez (B720) spoke about the development of façade glazing. He stressed that today glass has a service life of between 25 and 30 years and that on a façade it is more than a transparent material: it can enhance the building’s appearance and contribute to high energy efficiency.

Lagula Arquitectes — Structural timber

Xavier Botet and Albert Saboya explained their commitment to industrialisation and structural timber with the Centre Sant Jaume in Badalona, a municipal facility in which exposed timber adds comfort, and with the future social centre in Sants, a rehabilitation that restores the original façade and in which timber reinforces the interior structure.

Ahead PSP — Rice straw at the Meliana day centre

Ramón Torrents, managing partner of Ahead PSP, presented the day centre in Meliana (Valencia), built with structural timber and rice straw. To control moisture, the system incorporates a fibre-cement sandwich that stiffens the structure and acts as a vapour barrier. The fact that rice is a local resource in the Valencia region helps reduce the building’s carbon footprint.

Peris+Toral Arquitectes — Raw earth with Targaterra

Jose Toral presented housing in Ibiza in which Targaterra earth plays a leading role. According to the studio, its performance against thermal bridging and its contribution to indoor comfort made it possible to design the homes without air conditioning or heating, relying on solutions such as cross-ventilation and winter gardens.

Participating brands and speakers

Participating brands: Bealstone, Bolibar, Bolon, Cielo, Cotto d’Este, Deco/in (Cleaf, Latho), Decustik, Denvelops, Fede Switch & Light, Fenix, Formma, Gessi, Grupo Greco Gres, Elval Colour, Hempcrete, Holcim, Honext, i-Mesh, Inkiostro Bianco, Laufen, Mardegan Legno, Mogu, Molduras del Noroeste, Mortex, Noesis, Novacef, Rare Stone, Revolución Limo, RO, Targa, Timberwise and Todobarro.

Participating speakers: Peris+Toral Arquitectes, Josep Bunyesc, Arquitecturia, b720 Arquitectos, batlleiroig, Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT, Lagula Arquitectes, Ideo arquitectura boutique, Jaime Prous Architects, Josep Ferrando Arquitectura, L35, Ahead PSP, Mateoarquitectura, Mesura, Penelas Architects, Pich Architects, PMMT, Clàudia Raurell Arquitectura, Cosy Barcelona, Deardesign Studio, Laos Arquitectura, Lara Pujol Interiorisme, Lev Gargir Architects, Carola Closa, Teresa Cabaní Interiorisme and Wälmo Estudio.

Thank you, and see you at the next edition

We would like to thank everyone who attended Materials Matter 2023 Exhibition for the exchange of knowledge that took place during the event, which strengthened the ties between professionals and industry and brought to light new materials and projects focused on sustainability and innovation.

We are convinced that good design dignifies materials and that good materials improve projects. The aim of this event is to drive innovation in architecture and interior design and to serve as a link between professionals and industry, in the belief that sharing knowledge allows the sector to evolve more quickly and effectively. We look forward to seeing you at the next edition!

Epilogue: the next Materials Matter Exhibition was held in March 2024 as part of the REBUILD fair at IFEMA Madrid, and in October 2024 the exhibition returned to the COAC headquarters in Barcelona.