Why world-class designers are using near-zero aluminium at Milan Design Week
We challenged seven world-class designers to use the first-ever aluminium product made from 100% post-consumer scrap in projects they will present in an exhibition at Milan Design Week 2024. Their aim is to show how scrap can be turned into pristine-looking design objects, ready for mass production.
The 100R exhibition at Spazio Maiocchi for Milan Design Week is a celebration of the new recycled, low-carbon aluminium product Hydro CIRCAL 100R. This product carries a carbon footprint near zero.
Read more about the 100R exhibition
To be precise, the product has a carbon footprint below 0.5 kgs of CO2-equivalents per kg aluminium. Which is 97% lower than the global average for primary-grade aluminium.
Why the design challenge? So we can show that this near-zero material can become beautiful design objects, and that the metal is neither aesthetically nor functionally inferior to primary aluminium. What better way to prove this than by inviting some of today’s finest designers to play with it?
Clear framework and complete freedom
Lars Beller Fjetland, who served as art director for the project and is a great designer in his own right, set the groundwork.
He built a strong and clear framework for the designers, then offered them complete freedom to create – within the pre-defined parameters. His only request was that they design a product or an object that could highlight the inherent qualities of aluminium and the opportunities that lie within the aluminium extrusion process.
And I have to say, they did the job. This world-class group comprised:
- Inga Sempé
- Max Lamb
- Andreas Engesvik
- Shane Schneck
- Rachel Griffin/Earnest Studio
- John Tree
- Philippe Malouin