Last month, one of the biggest events in the world’s design calendar — Milan Design Week — took place in Italy. Cosentino, the manufacturer of architectural surfaces Dekton, Sensa and Silestone, was there, introducing a brand new range, Earthic by Silestone XM.

To create the innovative new Earthic range, which consists of six new surfaces that contain a maximum silica content of 10%, as well as a selection of premium minerals, recycled glass, PET, bio-resin, and Dekton fragments, Cosentino teamed up with Formafantasma, a research-based design studio. Together, they also created an original and immersive installation in Milan’s historic Teatro Gerolamo to launch the product. The space was transformed into Earthic Lab and took thousands of visitors on a transformative journey, showcasing the meticulous creation of Earthic surfaces and highlighting the importance of sustainable design.

Throughout the three-storey theatre, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin of Formafantasma installed sculptures composed of Earthic surfaces, waterfall-like holographic screens, and film footage inspired by Cosentino’s focus on sustainable manufacturing.

“Since the beginning, the aim of Earthic was to establish a surface project as well as a sub-brand within Cosentino that could become a research platform to investigate how the company could make their processes more sustainable. We did not start from an aesthetic but from the idea of improving the sustainable components within the surface, an attempt to design a product from the inside out where the aesthetic choices also correspond to ethical and sustainable choices,” says Formafantasma’s Andrea and Simone. 

The Earthic Lab installation won the Technology Award at Milan Design Week, an award that recognises “projects that innovate by restoring a balance between humans and their environment, using technology as a central factor in protecting the planet."

Cosentino’s research and development is focussed on the aim of reducing raw materials extraction and limiting CO2 emissions. Thanks to HybriQ+ technology, Silestone by Cosentino is produced with 100% renewable electrical energy and 99% recycled water.