Sustainable Cork Flooring Corkcomfort® by Wicanders® from Preference Floors

Corkcomfort in the footsteps of Gaudi.

It is Barcelona's crowning jewel and one of the most popular monuments in the world, visited by millions of tourists every year. La Sagrada Familia, designed by Catalan Architect Antoni Gaudi and regarded by many as his greatest work, is a Cathedral of imposing grandiosity and breathtaking architecture.

Now visitors to La Sagrada Familia's crypt will be surprised to learn they are walking on a floor made from cork. Recently launched in Australia at designEX, Corkcomfort® by Wicanders® was specified for this imposing project by Architect Jordi Bonet i Armengol. Inspired by the patterns, textures and colours of nature, Corkcomfort brings to life ceramic, stone, metal and leather patterns. The innovative range of colours and use of finger blocked and mosaic effects revitalises the use of cork in interior design today.

Around 2000 m2 of Corkcomfort glue-down with a high-traffic varnish finish cover the floor of the crypt, a part of the Cathedral declared a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO.

The Corkcomfort range is environmentally responsible and produced using cork from sustainable forests, which is in perfect harmony with Gaudi's philosophy for using natural materials. Architect Jordi Bonet i Armengol says "If Gaudi always used fundamentally natural materials and took inspiration from nature, why not use a natural product such as cork?"

In addition, the benefits of specifying cork flooring are numerous, a natural thermal insulator, cork creates quiet, stylish, comfortable environments along with potential energy savings. Jordi Bonet i Armengol explains, "Encouraged by the excellent acoustic and thermal properties of cork I decided it was the perfect choice, as it matched the other materials already used from the aesthetic perspective... and there are still some people who aren't sure exactly what type of flooring it is!"

Begun in 1882, La Sagrada Familia is still under construction, and is expected to be finished in 2026, the centenary year of Gaudi's death. Despite the many footsteps between now and then, the Corkcomfort floor will still be there.