Closing date for submissions: 30 November 2010

Brussels, 4 March 2010 - The European Copper Institute (ECI) and the Italian Copper Institute (IIR) are launching the third “Copper and the home” design competition.  It uses a format similar to the previous competition, whereby competitors have to design an object for the home based on the use of copper or its alloys (such as bronze or brass), and exploiting the superb aesthetic or technical qualities of these metals.  The best student and professional projects will receive prizes ranging from €1,500 to €4,000.

A competition highlighting the aesthetic and technical qualities of copper   

Omnipresent in our homes but often invisible, copper plays many roles behind the scenes in our houses.  The purpose of the "Copper and the home" design competition is to bring the red metal into the spotlight and nurture its decorative potential.

For this third competition, the ECI and IIR invite designers from across the world to make copper the star of our interiors!

As in previous years, the event is open to two categories of participants.  Firstly: Fine Arts, Graphic Arts, Design and Architecture students, and secondly: young professionals, designers and interior architects (under 40).

The participants have to design a decorative object for the home using copper or copper alloys that exploit the intrinsic qualities of these metals.

There are innumerable ways of exploring the material, given its wide range of colours, the way it naturally oxidises, its malleability, durability, ductility, antimicrobial properties, and the fact that it can be endlessly recycled.  The possibilities for creativity are just as varied: chairs, tables, lamps, vases, murals and radiators, to name but a few.

The jury will award prizes to designers who respond to this question: how can copper help us to reinvent objects, improve their functionality and transform our uses of them?

Projects need to be submitted by 30 November 2010, and the results will be announced in early 2011 (date to be announced later). The winner of the Student category will be awarded a prize of €1,500, and the winners of the Professional category prizes will receive €4,000 and €2,500 for first and second place respectively.

Copper inspires designers more than ever  

An ancestral material with a powerful visual identity, copper has achieved an eye-catching position in the contemporary design scene over the past years. More and more designers, including Susan Bradley, Tom Dixon with his celebrated Copper Shade lamps, Tord Boontje and Bassam & Fellows are rediscovering the aesthetic potential of the "red metal", the way it plays with light, and the manufacturing possibilities it offers. Its malleability and ductility vastly increase choices in terms of aesthetics and form and, as it is extremely durable and 100% recyclable, it appeals to a growing number of creators in this age of eco-design.  The previous competition attracted more than 130 applicants from all over the world, and the ECI and IIR are looking forward to a further increase this year.

European Copper Institute

Irina Dumitrescu,

Communications Manager

Tel. +32 2 777 70 82

id@eurocopper.org