Loop Loop Creates World’s First Plant-Based Aluminium Dyeing Process

Dutch design studio Loop Loop has innovated a groundbreaking method of imbuing aluminium with colour through plant-based pigments, eschewing the use of petroleum-based alternatives. Odin Visser and Charles Gateau, founders of the Rotterdam-based studio, have pioneered what they call the world’s first plant-based aluminium dyeing process. According to the duo, this process entails the creation of four bio-based pigment solutions, which can be applied to aluminium via anodizing—a surface treatment technique commonly utilizing petroleum-derived pigments. Here is a detailed report on SURFACES REPORTER (SR).


Visser and Gateau cultivate their own plants for the pigments, reinforcing their dedication to localized production.

Visser and Gateau’s aspiration is to render the aluminium anodizing process more accessible to designers, artisans, and small-scale manufacturers, thus broadening its current predominantly mass production application. Their ultimate goal is to make their designs and formulas open source, enabling anyone to establish their production facilities. Their journey commenced with the introduction of the Magic Colour Machine during Milan Design Week 2022. This mobile, custom-designed machine enables the application of colour gradients to aluminium components from any location. Their latest venture, named Local Colours, delves into how this process can be rendered more sustainable.


The innovative process involves applying a thin aluminium oxide layer on the surface of the metal using an electric current.

Loop Loop has developed four dyes so far, including warm purple from dyer’s alkanet flowers, mustard yellow from dyer’s rocket flowers, deep pink from madder root, and bright gold from red onion. These pigments are applied to metal using varied techniques, resulting in an array of effects, including smooth gradients and textured finishes.

The innovative process involves applying a thin aluminium oxide layer on the surface of the metal using an electric current. The studio’s tests indicate that plant-based anodizing finishes behave similarly to petroleum-based ones, except for colour reactions under direct sunlight due to the intricate and diverse molecular structure of natural-based dyes.


Loop Loop has developed four dyes so far, including warm purple from dyer’s alkanet flowers, mustard yellow from dyer’s rocket flowers, deep pink from madder root, and bright gold from red onion.

Visser and Gateau cultivate their own plants for the pigments, reinforcing their dedication to localized production. Their intention is to foster a community of designers, researchers and makers sharing insights and results in the realm of circular products and service systems once the recipes become open source. They are aiming to launch this platform in 2024.

Image credit: Loop Loop

×

Post Your Comment


"Content that powers your Business. News that keeps you informed."

Surfaces Reporter is one of India's leading media in Print & Digital Telecast for News on Interiors & Architecture Projects, Products, Building Materials, and the Business of Design! Since 2011, it serves as a referral for designers & architects to know about inspiring projects and source new products. If you have a Product or Project worth publishing in Surfaces Reporter, please email us hello@surfacesreporter.com or you can also submit your project online.

Like Surfaces Reporter on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter and Instagram | Subscribe to our magazine | Sign Up for the FREE Surfaces Reporter Magazine Newsletter

Upcycled Cork, Brick And Rattan Create A Spatial Conversation In A Berlin Hotel Redesign | Studio Aisslinger

Designed as a spatial and material climax, the staircase is a tactile testament to the 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin’s theme of contrast, where raw and refined, urban and organic, playful and poetic blend seamlessly.

Read more

Aluminium Roof, Vernacular Verandas and Ecological Design Shape Chennai’s Shiv Nader School

Buildings are not monumental blocks but clusters of low-slung pavilions that interweave with the landscape, reflecting the studio’s philosophy that education thrives in environments of openness and flexibility.

Read more

Lime, Terrazzo and Concrete Shape the Miteshbhai Residence | VH Design, Ahmedabad

Rooted in function yet steeped in emotion, the Miteshbhai Residence - Artist Prelude captures the personalities of its inhabitants through a tactile symphony of lime-plastered walls, terrazzo flooring, raw concrete, fluted wood and subtle brass accents.

Read more

World’s First PVC Inflatable Concert Hall That Transforms Cultural Spaces | Arc Nova

Recently unveiled in Europe for the first time at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, the project marks a new chapter in its remarkable journey from disaster relief in Japan to the global stage.

Read more


This is alt