nendo: par + parte for materia

nendo: par + parte for materiaimage courtesy of materia*

in a collaboration that started more than a year ago, portuguese cork manufacturing company amorim, approached experimentadesign, whose flagship venture is the EXD biennale in lisbon, to develop a project by selecting designers to bridge the gap between the raw natural material and user, by creating objects for everyday use. experimentadesign chose ten portuguese and international designers and studios based on their creative processes, paying close attention to their functionality and relevance, with an understanding of user dynamics.

entitled materia*, the result is a collection of objects that investigate the potential of cork, emphasizing its versatility, first presented to the public on the occasion of milan design week 2011. two of the objects in the series, ‘par’ and ‘parte’ have been designed by the japanese studio of nendo.

image courtesy of materia*

‘parte’ is a bowl made from agglomerated cork and chromed neodymium magnets. consisting of two parts, the bowl’s components are held together using the magnets allowing you to easily separate them in two or use them as a whole.

‘whether you are a glass-half-full or half-empty sort of person, ‘parte’ will work for you. water repellent, light yet durable, streamlined for optimum capacity and unfussy elegance, this bowl will fit nicely on your kitchen counter, bathroom vanity or office desk. a wicked design twist applied to a clean-cut form means ‘parte’ can be configured to better suit its contents. it only takes a simple rotation of the halves, which stay fastened together by strategically placed magnets. influenced the neat slicing of an apple in half to reveal its beautiful symmetry, ‘parte‘ is equal parts simplicity and functionality.’ – nendo

the ‘parte’ halves separatedimage © designboom

‘parte’image © designboom

possible configurations of ‘parte’image © designboom

‘par’∅41 x h88mmimage courtesy of materia*

‘par’ is a salt and pepper shaker made of agglomerated cork and glass.

‘a dash, a pinch, a shake is all it takes for magic to happen: an ingredient is revived, a mixture is set to rights, a concoction becomes a delicacy. upstaged by other more flamboyant players, it is nevertheless the quiet alchemy of salt and pepper that spells delight or disaster in the kitchen. used wisely they rally the senses, titillate the taste buds and bring a dish to copletion. however, just as easily, they can crush a delicate flavour, overwhelm the palate and consign a meal to the dustbin. with ‘par’ you can keep these potent elements in check: sealed in by the cork stopper-like basis, the transparent glass body leaves them visible at all times, fitting comfortably in your hand, these shakers rely on the cork component for upright support, a good hold and an airtight control of the contents.’ – nendo

‘par’ top viewimage © designboom