Les journées du liège du Var

Why this project?

This project was launched in 2015 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Design Parade festival, organized by the Villa Noailles. It highlights cork from the Var region—a natural, emblematic, and local material that is now rarely used in France.
It aligns with an ecological, artisanal, and creative approach, with several key goals:

• To promote a unique and underestimated Mediterranean resource
• To revive a local forestry and craft industry at risk
• To bring together designers, artisans, institutions, and the public around a shared material
• To foster contemporary, sustainable creation rooted in the region

A strong partnership

This project is carried out in collaboration with: Forêt Modèle de Provence, Villa Noailles, ASL Suberaie Varoise, and the Escoulen School (specialized in woodturning). It brings together design, ecology, and knowledge transmission.

An unexpected story

Cork comes from the cork oak (Quercus suber), a tree typical of the Mediterranean basin. Until the 17th century, Mediterranean scrubland was mainly used for firewood. According to tradition, it was Dom Pérignon who, in the 17th century, discovered that cork was ideal for sealing wine bottles—revolutionizing the preservation of sparkling wines. This discovery contributed to the growth of the wine industry and the expansion of cork production.

The Var, a cork-rich region

The Var department has around 50,000 hectares of cork oak forest (suberaie). Until 1964, the region was the world’s leading producer of cork. Today, despite its forest wealth, the French cork industry is marginal, with fewer than three companies still processing cork in the Var.

A material with exceptional properties

Cork is: lightweight, flexible, durable, waterproof, gas-proof, thermally and acoustically insulating, elastic, biodegradable, hypoallergenic, and rot-resistant.
Its microscopic honeycomb structure (about 40 million cells per cm³) and the presence of suberin give it remarkable qualities: elasticity, longevity, impermeability, and fire resistance.

Two competitions to revitalize the cork industry:

• Design Competition: creation of furniture, objects, or prototypes made of cork
• Woodturning Competition: promotion of artisanal techniques

Open to professionals, students, and amateurs.

2025 theme: “Natural Cork” – no chemical additives allowed.
Participants receive raw cork from the Var region to create their project.
Prizes are awarded at Villa Noailles during the Cork Days event.

Prizes for each competition:
1st Prize: €1,000
2nd Prize: €500
3rd Prize: €250
Villa Noailles Public Prize: €300 for each competition
Winners benefit from extended visibility during the Design Parade and may receive support for production or distribution.