When you think about everyday objects or materials that are made from “environmentally-responsible” companies, you may not immediately think that their products can also be highly attractive. 

That’s what makes the Alcantara Magic Garden-Connect4Climate pavilion a wondrous place. Situated on the Mall, right by the Washington Monument as part of the Global Citizen2015Earth Day, the pavilion is a magnet for children of all ages. All the materials in it are created in a carbon-neutral plant. But the designs made from Alcantara are also intriguing, fun to look at, and absolutely beautiful. Alcantara, the name of the material, is also the name of the company that makes and sells it. Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Alcantara S.p.A. operates all over the world.

Alcantara, the material, feels a lot like really soft suede, and looks like it, too. It’s used in furniture, clothes, jewelry, and upholstery for cars, boats, and jets. It’s light, but also strong and durable. It can be any color and the surfaces can be printed, embroidered, or embossed. Even electro-welded! There’s no other material like it.

When people walk through the Alcantara Magic Garden and gaze at the bigger-than-life fruit, the cascading “raindrops,” or the luxurious canopy bed, they inevitably exclaim “Wow!” “Cool!”  “I love this stuff!” – proof that being responsible and caring for the planet can result in works of beauty.

(The Pavilion is open from 11:00 - 6:00 p.m. Friday - Sunday, April 17 - 19. It's free, and open to all. Come visit!)