Artemest at Casa Cork by David Rockwell

During Milan Design Week 2025, Casa Cork by David Rockwell has emerged as one of the city’s most talked-about destinations—a striking showcase of cork’s vast creative potential and its role in shaping the future of sustainable design.

Created in partnership with the sustainability-driven nonprofit Cork Collective, renowned architecture and design firm Rockwell Group, and cork pioneer Corticeira Amorim, the installation offered a rich program of educational talks, curated events, and design showcases—all centered on one of nature’s most extraordinary materials.

At the heart of this immersive installation stands an elegant bar and chandelier, both custom-designed by Rockwell Group and proudly brought to life by Artemest.

As part of the multi-sensory experience at Casa Cork, the bar and chandelier serve not only as functional design elements, but as sculptural statements celebrating the natural beauty, versatility, and sustainability of cork. Designed to invite conversation and elevate the setting, the chandelier captures attention with its fluid form and artisanal detailing, offering a warm, textured glow that envelops the space with understated elegance. Below, the bar anchors the room with graceful curves and tactile surfaces that echo the material’s organic origins, turning the act of gathering into an experience of aesthetic delight.

The pieces highlight a seamless blend of thoughtful design and time-honored techniques, celebrating the expressive power of materials when entrusted to the hands of master artisans.

As visitors step into this uniquely immersive space, they are invited to witness how beauty, sustainability, and craftsmanship can converge to tell a powerful story—one that transcends trends and endures through time. It is an invitation to reimagine the role of design not only as an aesthetic pursuit, but as a meaningful, sustainable, and deeply human experience.

Photography by Ed Reeve for Rockwell Group