The Alder collection of tables by Patricia Urquiola for Mater makes its debut at Milan Design Week 2024, showcasing the company’s newly-developed material. Dubbed ‘Matek’, it is the result of years of research and development by the Danish company, who have been using waste from a variety of sources that include coffee bean shells or sawdust from wood production, bound with bioplastic and resulting in a composite material that can be press-moulded to make furniture.
'Mater was established in Copenhagen in 2006 by Henrik Marstrand, and the company's initial goal was to promote sustainable practices, which was not a common topic in the design world at the time,' says Mater CEO, Ketil Årdal. 'Since then, Mater has been at the forefront of sustainable furniture design and production. The company has transitioned from a sustainability-focused design brand to a green-tech company focusing on furniture design, always seeking innovative approaches.'
