Making Your Lisbon Shopping List? Put Cork In It
Portugal’s biggest export is not wine or shoes, it’s cork. This is the world’s biggest cork-producing country, supplying around 70% of it. That all-natural material comes mostly from the Alentejo region, and can be molded into a variety of products. A new shop in Lisbon’s Bairro Alto shows that this fully recyclable material is quickly becoming one of Portugal’s trademarks, especially in the design world. New York’s MoMA recently presented some of the best of Portuguese design, and many of the selected pieces were made with cork. You can now see many of those examples at the new “Cork & Co.” shop, offering fashion accessories and furniture all made with that very Portuguese material. These are all products with unique and exceptional characteristics, and entirely made in Portugal. On a trip to Lisbon this is a place to include in your itinerary if you’re looking for local creativity, high-quality eco-friendly products, and distinctive design.
The address is number 10 of Rua das Salgadeiras, just around the corner from Camões Square. This being Bairro Alto, it opens late and stays open at night — 2PM-10PM Monday to Wednesday, and 2PM to 11PM Thursday to Saturday. The phone number is (+351) 216 090 231
July 5th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Hi. I want to install a new cork floor in my home. I found a company called Lisbon Cork. I assumed Lisbon Cork was based in Portugal, but a friend told me that actually Lisbon Cork is based in China. Could you please tell me if in fact Lisbon Cork is made in Portugal? Thanks.