Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/536121
44 PalletCentral • July-August 2015 palletcentral.com aesthetic while evoking the original utility of the materials, the elemental character of the building, and the historical resonance of the site itself. The Stork Restaurant and Café is part of an ambitious redevelopment project in which an entire section of the city is being upgraded and put to new use as a lively gathering place for visitors and residents. As redevelopment has become integral for cities around the world, creative minds have found inventive ways to revitalize communities and increase the economic value of urban real estate by renovating and/or restoring old structures. Reusing, recycling and repurposing items such as wooden pallets adds economic and environmental benefits to these efforts, as recycled timber is often more abundant and low-cost. There are also clear aesthetic reasons to re-use pallets or repurpose pallet timbers into new applications: they add authentic charm, character and legitimacy to an environment. The trend is growing worldwide. In fact, the ARE 2014 report from EuroShop stated that "… trends to include the use of raw materials, unfinished materials, natural materials, such as crates, cardboard, pallets and OSB to define spaces are on the rise." EuroShop adds their own Top Ten most-requested material categories. They are: wood (20%), plastics (19%), textiles (12%), coating and metal (11% each), glass (8%), concrete (6%), stone (5%), ceramics (3%), and sandwich structures and paper (2% each). The Stork Restaurant and Café is another example showing how re-used and upcycled wood packaging is economical, environmentally friendly and very, very cool. Building on the sustainability and environmental positive messaging of wood products, NWPCA invites our readers to share a story. Please contact Annette Ferri, NWPCA, at aferri@palletcentral.com with any leads. PC REUSE