Innovative Materiality
The first MATTER SESSION brought more than 15 studios together at Matter Barcelona and Madrid to touch innovative materials and learn about the alliance with Material Bank.
EventsMatter Session1 of 73 min read
On 5 February 2025 we held the first MATTER SESSION: Innovative Materiality at Matter Barcelona, a session we also took to Matter Madrid. More than 15 interior design and architecture studios came together to discover innovative materials, exchange knowledge and make new connections.
It launched MATTER SESSION, our series of gatherings around materiality. We look back at how the session went, why it served to introduce the alliance between Matter and Material Bank to the studios, and how the series has continued.
Innovative materials to touch, not just to look at
A table of samples as the starting point.
The format was practical: attendees could touch, experiment with and take a close look at innovative materials, laid out on the work tables of the material library alongside Material Bank sample boxes. More than a lecture, the session was a conversation around the materials, with time to handle, compare and discuss them between studios.
The Matter + Material Bank alliance, presented to the studios
Digital and physical, in a single way of selecting materials.
The session also served to present our alliance with Material Bank to the studios; it was officially announced on 24 February 2025. Its aim is to transform the way architects and interior designers select and specify materials, combining technology, expert advice and efficient access to samples.
Material Bank is an international platform for searching for, comparing and ordering samples of architecture and design materials from different manufacturers in a single order. At Matter we contribute materials consultancy and our physical material libraries. The alliance can be summed up in three ideas:
- Digital and physical access: search and compare on the Material Bank platform, and see and touch the materials in Matter's material libraries in Barcelona and Madrid.
- Samples in 24 hours: a single free delivery with samples from different manufacturers.
- Advice: Matter's consultancy team supports the selection from the earliest stages of the project through to final specification.
The session at Matter Madrid
MATTER SESSION 01 was also held at Matter Madrid, around its large materials table, with architecture and interior design studios and the samples within arm's reach.
A series that continues
This first session opened MATTER SESSION, the series of gatherings we organise in our material libraries around a materiality theme. A few weeks later came the second, Sustainable Materiality, followed by sessions devoted to healthy materials, time management in architecture and design studios, wood and natural fibres, stone materials and landscape.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a MATTER SESSION?
- It is our series of gatherings for architecture and interior design studios in Matter's material libraries. Each session revolves around a theme – innovative, sustainable, healthy or stone materials, among others – and combines the presentation of materials with conversation between professionals.
- What is Material Bank?
- A digital platform for searching for, comparing and ordering material samples from different architecture and design manufacturers. According to the company, its European website brings together more than 45,000 materials from more than 450 brands, and orders placed before 18:30 (CET) arrive together, in a single box, the next morning.
- Does ordering samples cost anything?
- According to Material Bank, samples and delivery are free for architects and interior designers.
We thank all the studios that took part in this first session. We continue to create spaces for inspiration and learning: look out for the upcoming Matter Sessions and, in the meantime, book your visit to our Materioteca to discover innovative materials and talk about those for your next project.
