This past week the Design Museum in London opened a new exhibition, showcasing this year`s nominees for the Designs of the Year awards. It is a very eclectic mix of products, as the awards embraces 7 different categories, but my favourite (I know I`m biased) is the Solo Bench, by Brazilian artist Domingos Tótora (I told you I was biased).

Solo Bench is part of Domingos Tótora ‘s line of recycled cardboard furniture (yes! it is cardboard, although you do have to touch it to believe!). The surface is so smooth that it does look like a stone. Nominated by Adélia Borges, it is made from discarded cardboard and empty bags of cement mixed with water and glued , creating a very resistant material.

To complete its sustainable concept, the bench is manufactured by local craftsmen from the countryside of Minas Gerais, generating income for an underprivileged population. Its social and environmental dimensions are definitely an example of Brazilian design’s path.