The use of cork in construction: innovation, institutions and application in Lisbon during the 1940s

Abstract

Cork has been present in everyday life, established as a building material, since the beginning of the 20th century. Since the end of the 19th century, with the arrival of new patents, the material has been valued by the United States industry. In this article, we will address the affirmation of cork as a construction material based on the analysis of a laboratory in Lisbon and of two works in the city, where it is noted that the new uses derive from the technical performance (acoustic and thermal) of the material but also of an association with an image of modernity. The intersection between the institutional and business variable makes it possible, in synthesis, to understand the architectural work in a broader context, beyond the pure architectural object, as part of a production and innovation process.