Text by CLOT Magazine
MOGU is an innovative, eco-friendly company that is completely changing the face of product design. Its core belief is that Nature is the best designer, and we should apply its principles in the manufacturing of products. Using mycelium technology, MOGU plans to create a range of products made from naturally cultivated materials that would serve as an alternative to goods traditionally produced from fossil fuel derivatives. A big goal of the company is to systematize the development of these sustainable products to reach industrial scales and result in mass-production that meets market demands.
Following these aspirations, MOGU has announced its first collection of cutting-edge acoustic panels. The panels’ material is created by growing mycelium, the vegetal part of fungi, on biological fibres. The species of mycelium cultivated by MOGU can be farmed in various conditions and bio-engineered to create compounds with particular properties. These compounds can be grown in short time spans with minimum resources, and the materials produced are completely organic, sustainable, biodegradable, and economical. This collection, made solely from biological materials, is the first of its kind to be commercially available and signifies a radical change in interior design.
MOGU Acoustic collection comprises 4 models with different shapes and textures to fit every need, whether it’s office space, public environment, or your home. The panels embody functionality and a natural aesthetic while proving to be very safe. In fact, testing has shown them to be hypoallergenic, free of VOC Emission, and have a remarkable fire rating making them a safer option than many other conventional design materials. This game-changing development process pioneered by MOGU, based on biomanufacturing and Circular Economy, will be the future solution to responsible manufacturing of sustainable, long-lived, and environmentally friendly everyday materials.
At CLOT Magazine, we spoke to Maurizio Montalti, co-founder and director of research and technological development at MOGU. Montalti agrees that there is a major gap between the nature of experimental design projects opening up novel perspectives and their actual implementation towards the largest collectivity.
