Stone-Ideas.com 
Portugal and its regions were presented through materials and design works at the Fuorisalone during Milan Design Week 2025 (April 07 – 13). The initiative came from the natural stone association Assimagra (Associação Portuguesa da Indústria dos Recuros Minerais), and so the guiding principle, in addition to the designers’ origins, was that each object used natural stone and craftsmanship from the region.
“Dialogues From Within“ was the title of the exhibition in the Brera district, featuring works by five designers. It was part of the larger “Broot“ project, featuring a total of 25 designers, whose works had already been shown in Saudi Arabia and Paris, and whose works will be presented later this year in New York City and Osaka. “Broot“ is poetically described in the press materials as “an ode to the natural raw materials that emerge from the earth to become artworks.”
The creatives at Studio Eneida Lombe Tavares drew inspiration from the Azores and combined basalt and wicker. The volcanic rock largely served as the material for the legs of the objects, such as the bench (200 kg), the chair (60 kg), and the lamp (348 x 290 x 150 mm, 60 kg). But for the centerpiece (4.7 kg), the designers simply reversed the function of the materials.
Studio João Marcos Moreira complemented the Estremoz marble with cork from oak trees. The insides of the legs of the bench (200 kg) and the side table (50 kg) are covered with cork. The vase weighs 19.3 kg, the centerpiece 4.3 kg, and the lamp 7.7 kg.
Studio Olivah combined massive pieces of Central North granite with small pieces of burel weave and sheep’s wool, which in turn resembled mosses and lichens. The armchair weighs 480 kg, the boulder-shaped side tables around 200 kg, the wall panels from 45 to 100 kg, the vase 8.7 kg, and the centerpiece 4.6 kg.
Studio Anansi is based in northern Portugal, where they sourced the slate and acacia wood. The dining table (2740 x 1245 x 746 mm) with a solid stone base weighs 1370 kg, the console table weighs 200 kg, and the centerpiece weighs 22.5 kg.
Limestone and clay play an important role in the economy of the Central Region. Ceramics studio Vitor Reis combined both materials: the pedestal basin is made of hollow stone supporting a red clay bowl and weighs 200 kg; the side table (128 kg) plays with the shape of ancient amphorae; and the serving platter and plate weigh between 6 and 10 kg.
Fotos: designers/Assimagra