Bentu: back to basic, respect the nature

On 3 July 2017, in the Red Dot Award Ceremony 2017 in Essen, Germany, BENTU concrete wall tiles “Shadow” was awarded “Red Dot: Best of the Best” among  the category of “Materials and Surfaces”. The honor is just one of numerous awards that BENTU has received since its establishment.

BENTU is a crossover and prolific independent design brand, with a young and passionate team from Guangzhou, China. BENTU was founded in 2012, engaged in making products that meet the daily needs. Through a series of experiments and exploration, the team makes each material return to its nature by revealing its original texture. Hiding behind the form and the function of the products lies the equal care for all—all the raw materials, techniques and cultures that make up things; namely, BENTU cherishes every component and substance.

BENTU focuses on the research, development, design, production, sales and promotion of products. Its products cover lighting, home furnishings, outdoor furnitures, wall decors and so on, with more than 150 design patents, 3 utility model patents and 1 invention patent. Since 2013 when the recycle series of BENTU won bronze award of product design in Hong Kong Designers Association Global Design Awards, BENTU has received numerous Chinese and global design awards such as iF Design Award, exhibited its products in various design exhibitions as well as design weeks and attracted worldwide media coverage.

The team originated in spatial design and they had been to a lot of sites where concrete buildings were knocked off. The more demolition sites they have been to, the more attached they felt with this material.

Inspired by the Japanese architect Tadao Ando(安藤 忠雄), the team found the gap between cement and its application to domestic products. A piece of cold cement can be given a warm aesthetic value through architectural design, however it has not yet become a common material used in product design.

BENTU values the concept of simplicity. This concept has applied to their product design, naming and packaging of their works. BENTU introduces cement, the basic building material that has been widely used in the world, into their design. The raw form and touch of cement remind people the foundation of modernisation that we enjoy nowadays.

Water is an essential component of cement. The team aims to make cement flows as fluid as water and solidified it into a natural beauty. To achieve both aesthetic goal and functionality within a product can be challenging, yet BENTU believes challenges can ignites creativity.