This June, Materia will bring a special exhibition to Hong Kong at Retail Asia Expo 2014.

Materia will be there to show new materials that are particularly relevant to the perception of space. These materials will bring identity and brand appeal to consumers, as well as having various special characteristics. The significance of material for the retail industry can make or break the sale: to tell a story, be inspired by these materials.

This story will be explained by Materia creative director Els Zijlstra, who will discuss how “Interactive Smart Materials mean Smart Sales“. Interactive smart materials respond to changes in the environment, such as temperature, pressure, UV radiation, magnetism, energy and so on. In each case the material’s response is different: it might change colour, translucency, hardness, or size.

Particularly interesting are the materials which generate energy from the differing environmental conditions. Examples are piezoelectric cells, which operate under pressure, or thermo-active materials, which are based on temperature differences.

Smart materials are not new. They are already being used in mechanical engineering, healthcare and the electronics industries. Still, the possibilities for architecture and design are still almost at an experimental stage.

Many more exciting applications and examples will be discussed during this lecture.