How fungal mycelium is helping to shape the future of the design world

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Maurizio Montalti and his studio, Officina Corpuscoli, represent a paradigm shift: design as co-creation with living systems.

Montalti works with fungal mycelia to develop materials that are not synthetic in composition, but are rather cultivated through growth. In so doing, he places the intelligence of biological systems at the centre of his design.

Growing materials with added value

‘Biofabrication uses the self-organising ability of microorganisms to not only produce materials, but also to grow them,’ explains Montalti. This results in solutions that are both aesthetically and functionally appealing, while also offering ethical and ecological added value.

Ephea 3er Collage — Ephea Briefcase: leather aesthetics without animals, using biotechnologically grown mycelium instead.

Maurizio Montalti portrait SQIM c Mogu — Maurizio Montalti works with Officina Corpuscoli at the interface of design and biotechnology.

Microorganisms in architecture and fashion

With Mogu, Montalti has scaled mycelium technologies to an industrial level for the first time. Acoustic panels, modular floors, and wall surfaces are created from biological cycles and combine design with regenerative economics. At the same time, he is setting new standards in the fashion industry with Ephea™: luxurious, leather-like materials made from mycelium, which are already being used in high-end collections, for example by Balenciaga.

Ephea Balenciaga — Ephea brings fungal mycelium into the world of fashion – for example, in the iconic Balenciaga coat.

Mogu Mycelium PLUMA Panels Reeds mogu — Mogu Panels: surface modules grown from fungi combine function, acoustics, and sustainable design.

Mogu Project Ape Yakitori Bar Jan Vranosky — Mogu wall panels in the Ape Yakitori Bar in Newcastle

Trend or design revolution?

Montalti positions fungal mycelium as the material of the future: renewable, functional, and aesthetically unique. Each product is therefore not only an object, but also a statement in favour of a new form of value creation that aims to reconcile humans and nature.

corpuscoli.com