About

THE STRUCTURAL COLOUR STUDIO 

The Structural Colour Studio (SCS) was founded from a collaboration between materials researcher Konrad Klockars and designer Noora Yau in Aalto University. The studio is a  platform for developing  sustainable structural colour using methods  from arts, science, technology and design, towards applications in furniture and architectural elements. 

WHAT IS STRUCTURAL COLOUR? 

Nature’s brightest colours – like those found in peacock feathers or butterfly wings – are created through microscopically small nanostructures. When light hits these structures, our eyes perceive intense and vivid colours. Unlike traditional pigments or dyes, structural colour arises from a nanostructure within a material, without the need for chemical compounds.  

SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURAL COLOUR 

Shiny or glittery effects – very popular in fashion and design today – are usually created using toxic pigments, plastic-based materials, or metallic foils. Our structural colour is a sustainable alternative to these traditional colorants, because it is produced 100% from wood. Wood is usually associated with shades of brown, grey, and green, humble colours that feel down to earth. Here we flip this perception upside down, by turning wood into shimmering and iridescent colours. The colourful coating is nontoxic and does not harm the environment. Since it is based on structural colouration, the colour does not fade in sunlight the way dyed fabrics do.