The idea of a materials library in Bucharest first emerged in 2016 at Nod Makerspace, when architect Cristina Enuță proposed that the Nod community bring together and share the material samples typically kept in individual architecture studios.
What started as a shared shelf soon evolved into the concept of a dedicated space, followed by a competition (which was won after a few months), and finally, the transformation of a space into what is now MATER—located on the first floor of Industria Bumbacului, directly beneath the Nod Makerspace workshops.
The newly formed team successfully brought this ambitious project to life in just 12 months, navigating every stage of the process: construction work | sourcing and bringing materials to Romania | convincing partners of the project’s value and impact.
The entire idea of having a materials library as close as possible to a makerspace stemmed from the makers’ need to choose from a wide variety of materials for their projects and to explore their properties through different processing techniques.
Of course, this concept has evolved into a much more complex process, and today, we have the opportunity to experiment with a greater range of materials, combined with digital manufacturing processes.
However, the most valuable resource of the library is the diversity of materials on display. Architects, designers, engineers, and inventors—everyone who works with materials—are eager to see, touch, and experiment with them.
This drive has pushed us to explore manufacturing processes further and identify new equipment that we are still missing at Nod Makerspace.
The potential for research projects is growing stronger in our minds. Sensors, wearables, prosthetic limbs? Shaping the future is only just beginning.
The sheer variety of possibilities and ideas becomes evident the moment you walk through MATER, surrounded by materials from all over the world.
Cristi Oprea // Bogdan Vizureanu // Tiberiu Stănescu // Teodor Frolu // Speranța Munteanu // Mirela Stoian // Dan Popescu // Gabriela Tîrlie // Dizainăr
The first materials library in Southeast Europe deserved a launch to match its significance. The event lasted 10 days, blending conferences, presentations, project exhibitions, and a special weekend event organised in collaboration with Zeppelin magazine and the Dutch Embassy in Bucharest.
The news quickly spread, and the MATER team answered dozens of questions in the months following the launch.
Below are some of the publications that featured us, to whom we extend our thanks for their interest in the MATER project:
2017 – editia tiparita #148
2018 – ediția tiparită
2017
2017
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