Designed by London-based Shiro Studio for Italian brand Metalco, the Uluru collection is a modular and sculptural family of public seating and a fantastic exercise of possibilities through exploration of new materials.

Simple and light metallic structures are the support of plain surfaces in UHPC—ultra high performance concrete—that are pulled vertically to create comfortable backrest support. The resistance of the material makes it possible to keep the lightness of the group, meanwhile the nearly non-porous surface allows Uluru’s final finish to be closer to polished granite than normal cast concrete. The studio director Andrea Morgante explains:

The availability of UHPC was also a crucial factor during the design development of the Uluru collection. We wanted to fully explore and challenge the vast potential of this innovative and versatile material through a form that could emphatically communicate lightness, strength and unity. UHPC ductal allowed us to create an incredibly light yet rigid concrete structure, just 20 millimetres thick.