What if the bark isn't discarded?

Bark is usually perceived only as an outer layer. When removed from the tree, its inner chromatic richness and complex natural patterns are rarely preserved or made visible. In most applications, bark is either discarded or flattened into a secondary material, losing its depth, variability, and expressive potential.

The project starts from the question of how bark can be repositioned as a central and expressive material. Through extensive experimentation, the project embraces an act of faith in the material’s unpredictability.

Scorza is a family of luminaires: Piantana, Abat-jour, and Lampada a Sospensione, conceived as a small ecosystem in which larch bark becomes the main element. The bark is supported by a custom-designed metal structure. Where the material appears fragile or discontinuous, a deliberate human and industrial intervention is introduced through a modular grid system, which can be opened and adapted according to the size of the bark. The grid’s geometry echoes the natural shapes of the bark and stands vertically on a larch wood base. Inside the base, a tubular light source is integrated; its form recalls the larch trunk but with inverted curves, allowing the bark to face the light and be fully illuminated and the tree to be studied on a deeper level. 

The result is a cohesive collection of lamps that reveals the warm, tannin-driven tones and the intricate inner patterns of the bark. Raw organic surfaces and precise metal structures coexist, creating a dialogue between natural fragility and industrial rigor.