Birch plywood, a unique design that has survived for 5,000 years

Made from an odd number of sheets of wood glued together, plywood has been used since time immemorial thanks to its stability and durability. Boards made of this material withstand the test of time without altering their structural properties, making them ideal for furniture making.

Plywood is a time traveler. More than 5,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians used it to make furniture and tools, relics that still survive and are displayed in museums around the world. Plywood was also used to forge the shields of the Roman legionaries, their scotum, another indication of its perceived durability. Fast forward to the 20th century, and we come across Mossie, the wooden marvel, a famous British bomber covered in plywood, a material that reached its highest artistic expression almost in our time with the fanciful chairs of Americans Ray and Charles Eames.

Today, the use of plywood, a board composed of an odd number of wood sheets glued together, has spread to multiple industries and fields. It is used to make objects as unexpected as wind turbine blades and car interiors, but also musical instruments, fences, household furniture, and sculptures. It's on par with solid wood: its refined and technologically advanced production maximizes wood use and minimizes waste, resulting in a lower price.

Its greatest virtues are stability, flexibility, and durability. Plywood withstands the test of time without losing its structural properties and maintains its original shape. It survives humidity, scratches, and high temperatures, ideal characteristics for the construction of quality, long-lasting furniture.

At first glance, it may seem like a simple material, but its production involves advanced machinery that yields surprising results. Things have changed a lot since Immanuel Nobel, one of the predecessors of the Swedish prize's creator, invented a lathe for threading wood.

Now, the bark of a birch log, one of the trees from which plywood sheets are extracted, is peeled off with a splitter in less than ten seconds. Each layer is calibrated to a thickness of 17.2 millimeters, checked for imperfections, leveled, and checked for moisture and density. They are then glued together using pressure and heat at around 140 degrees, a process that gives the board the strength and structure of a solid piece of wood.

At CUBRO, we cover the plywood with a layer of laminate or linoleum that multiplies its creative possibilities. Finally, we apply natural oils to our edges to protect them and ensure a longevity worthy of ancient Egypt.

The result is a solid, versatile, and durable material. These qualities make plywood a very attractive choice when designing a functional, modern, and high-performance kitchen.