The Materials Library is a collection of some of the most wondrous materials on earth, gathered from sheds, labs, grottoes and repositories from around the world.
This app is a digitised version of this collection that enables you to search, browse and discover some of the marvels of the material world; from metals with memory and super-tough ceramics, to self-healing concrete and radioactive glass.
For each material there is text and images, with some profiles including video and audio content. This is not an exhaustive database but a snap shot of the material world and a celebration of the art, craft, science and culture of matter.
Enter your own search terms (“blue” or “steal” or “flexible”) and see what is revealed, check out the most recent arrivals in the collection, or explore the following pathways of classification:
• State (solid, liquid, gas and object),
• Categories (animal, ceramic, composite, glass, metal, mineral,
polymers and vegetable)
• Curiosities (biocompatible, edible, radioactive, self-healing and
squiggly, to name just a few)
• Selections (special curated groupings of materials made by the
Institute of Making team or guests in order to share their own distinct perspectives and specialist knowledge)
The Materials Library collection lies at the heart of the Institute of Making and is sat alongside the Make Space workshop, encouraging members to take a hands-on approach to the exploration and study of the materials and processes.