CornWall

The design process

Studio Nina van Bart explores material qualities and assists manufacturers and material brands in rethinking their collections and products. The studio challenges all aspects of surface materials in architecture, including their fabrication, processes, and applications. The aim is to create architectural surfaces that are functional, sustainable, and evoke a distinctive atmosphere in our surroundings through colour and texture. For this collection, Studio Nina van Bart closely studied the production process of Circular Matters, the sales data of FRONT®'s existing collection, and future architectural projects, making the zeitgeist and FRONT®'s customers integral parts of the design thinking process. Nina van Bart suggested positioning the material as both an overall wall finish and as wainscoting to create a significant sustainable impact in architectural projects such as offices and hospitality spaces. The project also provided an opportunity to expand the imagination around material constraints. The natural behaviour of the granulate of the corncobs results in a warm yellow hue and a refined speckle. Nina van Bart decided to use this as a strength of the product by incorporating more warm hues into the collection than cool hues, which could be beautifully combined with the existing materials in the FRONT® collection. Additionally, a transparent finish was chosen rather than an opaque finish to highlight the depth of speckles in the material. Furthermore, Nina van Bart opted for a circular approach by offering not only wall mounting with a plant-based glue but also a detachable mounting option on the walls. This was achieved by creating a beautifully visible connection with screws in the same colour palette which became part of the design. The collection currently consists of one texture, eight colours, and two sizes. It will be expanded in the future with new textures, sizes, and colours

Content Creation

As part of the commission, Studio Nina van Bart creatively directed and produced the product and campaign photography, as well as 3D impressions of the CornWall. The aim of the campaign photography was to stay true to the original story of transforming corn cobs into wall panels. This was achieved by showing the corncob itself, the granulate, and the product in different colour hues in a graphic composition. For the 3D impressions, Studio Nina van Bart teamed up with Roel Deden, a CGI artist, to curate a series of 3D impressions showcasing the panels in contextual settings such as an office or hotel lobby. These presentations highlight the CornWall panels in two sizes, patterns, and colours. Combining both artistic and realistic elements, the images offer a clear view of their application.