Gisella Tortoriello: The Vision Behind the Broot Project
April 2025
Gisella Tortoriello: The Vision Behind the Broot Project
Natural stone is reimagined in the Broot – Dialogues from Within project, where contemporary design meets tradition and sustainability. After captivating audiences in Paris and Saudi Arabia, the next destination is Salone del Mobile.Milano 2025.In this exclusive interview, Gisella Tortoriello, founder of Olivah, shares the creative vision behind Broot, offers a glimpse into its international journey, and highlights the role of Portuguese stone in shaping a new global design language.
The Broot project aims to enhance Portuguese natural stone and promote dialog between materials and people. What were the motivations behind the creation of this project and how does it reflect ASSIMAGRA’s identity and values?
Since its foundation in 2021, Olivah has dedicated itself to celebrating Portuguese natural stone and the industry that surrounds it. With over 20 years’ experience in the sector, the company is driven by a deep passion for stone, seeking to exploit its natural qualities and millennia-old stories through art and design. The partnership between Olivah and Assimagra, the Portuguese association for the mineral resources industry, came about naturally, as both share the goal of promoting Portuguese stone and its role in the country’s cultural heritage. Together, they embraced an innovative project that fosters dialog between the stone industry and other sectors, integrating natural materials, crafts and traditional knowledge that are essential to Portugal’s history and economy. Through an experimental approach, Olivah coordinated five design studios to work with Portuguese stone and other natural materials, such as burel, cork, clay, wicker and wood, giving rise to a collection of functional and decorative objects. Each piece tells a story and together they reveal the identity and legacy of a territory.
How is natural stone presented in this project, not only as a traditional material, but also as an art that is reinvented in contemporary design?
In this project, we present traditional Portuguese stone, which is already widely recognized, in a new form and with an innovative design. By adding art and design to this everyday material, we add value to the stone. By transforming it into pieces with new shapes and functions, we open up new markets and reach different audiences, such as the design circuit, the art market, art galleries and end customers, boosting and contributing to the natural stone sector.
Broot – Dialogues from Within has already been presented in several cities, such as Saudi Arabia and Paris. What have been the main results of this journey and how has the international reception helped to promote Portuguese natural stone?
Participating in INDEX Saudi Arabia 2024, the largest and oldest interior design and architecture fair in the Middle East and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was a unique and extremely enriching experience, especially because of the visitors’ interest and attention to detail and the stories behind the pieces we presented. We had the opportunity to share the Broot project, Portuguese natural stone and the natural beauty of Portugal with the visitors, who included many architects, designers and art enthusiasts. We were also present at the Maison & Objet Paris fair, an iconic event with 30 years of tradition, where the project stood out and was recognized as an example of New Age design. For us, it was a source of pride and great satisfaction to receive positive feedback from the fair itself, from the curators, art galleries, designers and enthusiasts who visited us. In addition, we concluded the fair with the sale of four pieces from the collection.
How important is the project’s presence at Milan Design Week for the design industry and for the promotion of Portuguese natural stone?
Milan Design Week, held annually in Milan, Italy, is one of the largest and most important events on the international design circuit. It represents a milestone of innovation, trends and excellence in the world of design, covering areas such as furniture, architecture, interiors, product design, art and even technology applied to design. The event is not only a showcase for big names in design, but also a meeting point for professionals, brands, journalists, design critics, students and enthusiasts in the field, providing significant visibility. Portuguese natural stone will be present at the 2025 edition through the participation of Broot.
How does collaboration with the Galrão Group and other Portuguese companies strengthen the national natural stone industry? What are the advantages of integrating tradition and innovation in a project like Broot?
The materialization phase of the pieces was a painstaking job, the result of a collaborative network involving artists, artisans, companies and industries from different regions of the country.The Galrão Group was one of the many friends and partners who contributed to the project’s success, opening the doors of its facilities and quarries to Olivah and designer JMM Design Studio.They helped us select the perfect stone, not only in aesthetic terms, but also in terms of production feasibility and sustainability.
What are the future plans for the Broot project? Is there any intention of expanding the collection or taking it to other international events?
Portugal is a small country, but it has a huge natural wealth and culture and many craft traditions. There’s still a lot to do, both in developing new pieces with the materials we’ve already worked on. But also with the inclusion of new materials. At this stage of the project, Olivah has only covered 5 traditions. There is still a lot of knowledge and natural resources that deserve to be worked on, both artistically and commercially.
The Broot project is promoted as part of the Sustainable Stone by Portugal Green Agenda. How is the project aligned with this sustainable agenda and what role does natural stone play in this context?
The Broot project aims to promote sustainable and innovative solutions, combining ancient technologies with contemporary design practices. We prioritize the use of natural materials available in our territory, such as rough stone blocks and blocks already extracted from quarries, selecting those that are less commercially attractive. Our aim is to give new life to these materials, exploring their variations in tone, movement and texture. In line with the Sustainable Stone Green Agenda, the Broot project adopts responsible practices and is committed to a more conscious design with a lower environmental impact.
Know more about the project at: https://broot.pt/colecao/
