Nylon, stainless steel, and Teflon came into our everyday lives at a time when material innovation was largely unencumbered by environmental concerns. Hello Materials at the Danish Design Centre in Copenhagen reviews such materials with our 21st-century, 20/20 vision. It also looks at a new class of forward-thinking materials spawned by contemporary desires to reuse scarce resources and push the conventions of form, function, and strength. An accompanying blog brings together material experts including exhibit co-curator Chris Lefteri and ARCHITECT’s own Blaine Brownell to discuss such innovations as nanomaterials and energy-exchanging materials, as well as the meta-topics of energy footprints and needs versus wants. Through Sept. 21; en.ddc.dk
