Coccoloba gigantifolia is a relatively recent discovery in the Brazilian Amazon. A small tree, but with impressive foliage, holder of the world record in the Guinness World Records with a leaf measuring 2.50m long by 1.44m wide, collected in the Madeira River basin.

But this record is just as interesting in this discovery as what lies beneath its giant leaves: how they breathe. With its relatively low height, up to 15m, natural light reaching through the cracks of the dense forest is reduced and, it was imagined, so was the plant’s respiration efficiency. However, it was in this scenario of adversity that Coccoloba developed the ability to store energy throughout the day and carry out photosynthesis during the night.

Its efficiency in energy production, in its survival, comes from a huge challenge and an innovative solution to match. It couldn’t be a better parallel to the moment we live in: interdisciplinarity is fundamental to scientific and technological advances, respect for resources and materials, and greater synchronicity with the environment amid the Anthropocene. This is all design!

And there is still much to learn from this species and its processes, which, like those applied to design, challenge pre-existing conditions to create something original; a particular expression that can solve a problem, create new rules, aesthetics, and transform its ecosystem. Or, in the best-case scenario, raise even more questions.

It was exactly this curious gaze that led botanist Carlos Alberto Cid Ferreira (1950– 2023) to first identify Coccoloba inside the forest, in 1982, and to spend the next 40 years investigating and fighting for its recognition as an original species. From the collection of the record-breaking leaf in the 90s, to the planting of seedlings in the 2000s, to the first flowering (2013) and fruiting (2017), and to the scientific defense and official registration in 2020. The journey of a life dedicated to the Brazilian flora.

This individual struggle for recognition shows us the need to evolve towards a new collective pact, our awareness of responsibility towards more efficient and sustainable processes. In Brazil this means a lot, a genuine obligation to preserve, respect, and enhance our biodiversity and natural richness: the fertile soil of our culture.

Photo Credit: Henry Borzi

In the end, Coccoloba is a manifesto of Brazilian design, of resilience, and originality. The more than 50 companies and studios presented here reflect this moment: creations from absolutely every region, with different shapes, techniques, and materials. Inspired by our own culture and landscape in search of greater recognition, like a new branch that grows.

Curated by Bruno Simões