About
About MaterialDistrict
We help the people who design and build to find, understand and apply better materials.
Where we come from
MaterialDistrict was founded in 1998 in Naarden, the Netherlands, as Materia. It began as a pioneering materials archive at a time when finding a genuinely new material meant knowing someone who knew someone.
Since then the format has changed several times. A physical archive became a digital platform. A materials library became an editorial newsroom. A single exhibition became an annual event that draws the specification market to Utrecht each spring.
The purpose has not changed: helping better materials reach the people who can put them to use.
What we do today
We publish
Independent editorial coverage of material innovation — news, research, projects and the thinking behind new materials. Written by our own editors, not reprinted from press releases.
We curate
A database of materials and the brands behind them, built and maintained by our editors over more than two decades. Inclusion is a choice, not an upload.
We bring people together
MaterialDistrict Utrecht, our annual event at the Werkspoorkathedraal, plus curated material exhibitions at partner locations throughout the year.
We publish books
Books and thematic guides that turn specialist material knowledge into something a designer can actually use.
Facts
- Founded in 1998 in Naarden, the Netherlands
- [TO CONFIRM] brands and [TO CONFIRM] materials in the curated database
- [TO CONFIRM] professionals receive our newsletter
- MaterialDistrict Utrecht: 10 – 12 March 2027, Werkspoorkathedraal, Utrecht
MaterialDistrict is part of a wider family of initiatives that includes Sample.Store and Megosu.com.
Want to know more?
Our mission
Why we exist, what we mean by sustainable, and the commitment we made for 2030.
Read our missionGet in touch
Editorial submissions, memberships, events, publications or anything else — we will point you to the right person.
Contact us