During "The Design Annual - inside: private identity" in Frankfurt, DuPont presents the exhibition "40 Years/40 Designers". On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of DuPont™ Corian®, 40 designers and architects developed table or desktop accessories made of the solid surface material. Only parameter: The objects have to be usable and have to show the characteristics of the material. The result is an exclusive and creative collection marking the 40th anniversary of this DuPont material and in addition aims to recognise and celebrate the huge contribution made by the design community to the way Corian® is perceived and used today.

Each of the selected designers was challenged with creating a tabletop or desktop accessory, exploiting the special characteristics of Corian®. Seamless and highly formable using thermoforming or moulding techniques, Corian® can be routed and engraved using CNC machinery or printed using sublimation technology. It is available in hundred colours, including pure whites and vivid solid colours, and has a natural translucency in lighter hues, when backlit by natural or artificial light.

The objects have been realized by fabricators of the DuPont Quality Network. "Corian®: 40 Years - 40 Designers" demonstrates - in microcosm - the virtually limitless possibilities of Corian® in both practical and aesthetic terms. The material has the ability to be almost anything… businesslike… soothing… glamorous… ethereal... and at the same time, it has a simplicity and sensuousness that give it universal appeal. A truly multi-cultural material, Corian® is used in numerous different environments, in many countries across the world, which is reflected in the international nature of the 40 designers and in the diversity of the exhibited pieces. While objects had to have a specific function, they range from practical stacking trays to elegant centrepieces to quirky desk accessories such as puzzles and "worry stones".

By looking at Corian® from new angles, designers have consistently pushed forward the boundaries of what it can achieve, and have in turn inspired others. The exhibition underlines this engagement and presents Corian® as a modern, innovative material which will always encourage to develop new ideas.