Simone Brewster evokes a forest of cork oak trees in central London
For London Design Festival 2023, Simone Brewster presents ‘Spirit of Place’ on The Strand in collaboration with Amorim cork, intended to ‘capture the essence of the forest’

Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Thank you for signing up to Wallpaper. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
A group of large, totemic cork vessels has arrived in central London this September, marking out a bold presence on The Strand. Created by designer Simone Brewster, the outdoor public installation – titled ‘Spirit of Place’ – has been commissioned for London Design Festival 2023 (16–24 September), situated on a recently pedestrianised section of the historic West End street.
Simone Brewster: 'Spirit of Place'
Simone Brewster
Together, the five sculptural vessels are intended to evoke a forest of cork oak trees in Portugal. The forest, at Herdade de Rio Frio, is managed by Portuguese cork manufacturer Amorim, which collaborated with Brewster on the project. 'It was amazing, and so beautiful,' says Brewster of the forest, which she visited during a run of mild, blue-skied days in February 2023.
The project is directly inspired by the place. 'I wanted to capture the essence of what’s going on in the forest,' says Brewster. The column-like vessels, 2.6m high, recall the presence of sturdy oaks. 'Historically, the idea of columns is based on trees,’ says Brewster. Meanwhile, the palette of colours, painted on, references those she experienced on her visit.
Brewster was also inspired by the notions of resilience and regeneration that underpin the forest and how it’s managed. As our climate changes, Amorim is encouraging strains of trees to grow that are more resilient to drought, and their approach to harvesting the cork – for wine stoppers or any other use – is a waste-free, regenerative one. 'Everything gets reused,' says Brewster, mentioning in particular the cork dust which is used as biomass to power machinery in the factory.
The cork composite Brewster has utilised for ‘Spirit of Place’ is the result of stripping the bark of the trees – a process that boosts growth and carbon capture, but is nevertheless slow: it can only happen every eight years. 'It’s almost counterculture,' says Brewster, contrasting the approach with the contemporary pressures for fast-paced design and production. 'When you’re dealing with nature in a respectful and understanding way, you can’t push that [process], because you’re just going to end up damaging your resource.'
After the bark has been stripped, it is steamed, chipped and then heated, so that the natural resin in the cork bonds the chips together. It is this material that is compressed and cut into shapes, and which makes up the vessels of ‘Spirit of Place’.
This is the largest-scale project Brewster has worked on to date, blending her architectural training with her skill in crafting beautiful design objects. The totemic design recalls her ‘Tropical Noire’ (2014) vessels, continuing a practice of deeply sculptural expression that has also been on show at Brewster’s solo exhibition ‘The Shape of Things’ at London’s NOW Gallery.
Brewster calls ‘Spirit of Place’ a 'family of objects' to engage with, and is glad that their location in a pedestrianised zone will enable people to walk around them. Although only installed on The Strand for the duration of LDF, Brewster is already in discussions to hopefully find a new outdoor home for the project, whether that’s in another urban space – or a forest.
'Spirit of Place' by Simone Brewster in collaboration with Amorim is on view on The Strand until 24 September 2023
simonebrewster.co.uk
londondesignfestival.com
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Brooklyn furniture studio Stillmade unveils its first collaborative design series
Stillmade brings to life the designs of four New Yorkers – Pat Kim, Danny Kaplan, Michele Quan and Mignogna Studio
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
Toyota and Jun Takahashi create a limited edition Aygo X
Toyota Aygo X Undercover edition is a city car spliced with a high-end streetwear brand
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Daniel Arsham debuts new work in Paris and New York
Daniel Arsham and Perrotin mark 20 years of collaboration with New York and Paris exhibitions
By Hannah Silver Published
-
‘The future is hypermobile’: portability guides Tom Dixon’s Coal office exhibitions
London Design Festival 2023: at Coal Office, Tom Dixon explores themes of hypermobility in collaboration with cutting-edge contemporary brands, mixing AI, tech and research
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Ozwald Boateng reimagines Poltrona Frau classics
Savile Row tailor Ozwald Boateng was invited by Poltrona Frau to interpret its iconic designs through colour and pattern, marking the beginning of an ongoing collaboration
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Emerging stars and established makers unite in show for London Design Festival
Curated by Jan Hendzel, ‘11:11’ at Staffordshire St Gallery in Peckham, south London, features a diverse breadth of design, from ceramics and textiles to woodworking and jewellery
By Francesca Perry Published
-
At St Paul’s Cathedral, sound becomes light through an installation by Pablo Valbuena
‘Aura’ by Pablo Valbuena at St Paul’s Cathedral for London Design Festival 2023 (and until early November 2023) makes sound tangible through light
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Andu Masebo turns a red Alfa Romeo into furniture
Andu Masebo gives new life to an old Alfa Romeo, creating playful furniture, on show at the V&A South Kensington during London Design Festival (and until 15 October 2023)
By Francesca Perry Published
-
Normal Phenomena of Life is a pioneering new brand for ‘grown to order’ products
Normal Phenomena of Life, by Faber Futures and Gingko Bioworks, is the first biodesign-native lifestyle brand that aims to change how we produce and consume
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Meet the London Design Medals 2023 winners, showcasing ‘creativity and innovation that shapes our world’
The London Design Medals 2023 are awarded to engineer Hanif Kara, architect Pooja Agrawal, social enterprise POoR Collective and artist Magdalene Odundo
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Highlights from London Design Festival 2023
London Design Festival 2023 took over landmarks, showrooms and exhibition spaces across the city
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated