For centuries, hemp rope held together Mediterranean fleets. Today, it can hold together an interior design project. This is exactly the idea behind loomyard, a research project we had the pleasure of supporting by supplying our ropes, and which gives us the opportunity to talk about a little-known use of hemp: as a furnishing and architectural element.
The loomyard project: a shipyard imagined entirely in hemp
What would happen if a shipyard were built with the same material that, for centuries, was used to make ropes and sails for boats? This is the question behind loomyard, a research project by Diana, Marta, and Camille, three Architecture students from Politecnico di Milano: a shipyard imagined in Marina di Pisa, where hemp is not a decorative detail but the material that shapes the spaces.
The name itself is a play on words: loom, the weaving frame, and yard, the shipyard, and it tells the fundamental idea: to intertwine the textile tradition of hemp with architecture. As project sponsors, we supplied the hemp ropes, and among the most interesting solutions, one struck us: the rope is not used for mooring or tying, but as a vertical partition. A light, breathable, and completely natural wall that divides spaces without enclosing them.
It's an idea that shifts hemp from a "nautical" material to a full-fledged furnishing element. And it opens up concrete possibilities for space designers: screens, partitions, custom room dividers. In the next paragraphs, we'll see where it comes from, why it works, and how to create it.
From the ropes of the Maritime Republics to today's furnishings
The idea of using hemp in a shipyard is not a modern invention: it's a return to its origins. For centuries, until the first decades of the twentieth century, Italy was the second largest producer of hemp in the world, with almost 100,000 hectares cultivated until the 1930s. A good part of that production was linked to the Maritime Republics, which used the fiber in enormous quantities for the ropes, sails, and naval fabrics of their fleets.
Pisa was one such center. On a bas-relief of the Leaning Tower, datable around 1272, hemp still appears in its naval use. This is no coincidence: hemp fiber is about three times stronger than jute and was preferred because, unlike other fibers, it does not deteriorate when in contact with saltwater. The hand-stitched sails of the nineteenth century were almost all made of hemp precisely for this reason.
It is the same fiber that is useful today not only at sea, but also indoors: a rope that has crossed centuries without losing its qualities has all the credentials to become a contemporary furnishing material.
Why hemp rope really holds up
Historical charm is not enough: a divider or a piece of furniture must hold up. And here, hemp has concrete numbers. Our ropes are made of 100% long-fiber hemp, and their strength increases with diameter:
| Diameter | Approximate breaking load |
|---|---|
| 8 mm | ~544 kg |
| 12 mm | ~1.200 kg |
| 20 mm | ~3.295 kg |
| 30 mm | ~7.315 kg |
The complete table, from 4 to 50 mm, is on the hemp ropes page.
In addition, three properties make it suitable for living spaces: it is naturally fire-retardant (which is why it is also required in theater and for fire protection equipment), it is breathable, and it is completely biodegradable - no plastic, no synthetic fibers.
And what about resistance to the marine environment? In the loomyard project, the three students tested it in the field: by immersing the hemp rope in seawater for 36 hours, the fiber maintained its integrity. A simple but significant test, confirming what sailors have known for centuries and making the rope interesting for humid environments, outdoor spaces, and contexts near water.
From concept to furniture: hemp rope screens and dividers
Here lies the most interesting idea the project brings out. A rope stretched between floor and ceiling, repeated in sequence, becomes a vertical partition: it divides without isolating, allows light and air to pass through, and brings the warm, natural texture of the fiber into a space. It's a language that works in many contexts:
- Screens for restaurants, hotels, and clubs — to create reserved areas without walls, keeping spaces airy and bright.
- Dividers for offices and open-plan spaces — soft screens between workstations, as an alternative to glass or drywall.
- Decorative walls and headboards in residential settings, where the rope becomes a distinctive element.
- Retail displays, shop windows, trade fair stands, and exhibitions, where impactful, lightweight, and demountable solutions are needed.
- Nautical and waterfront contexts — yacht clubs, beach resorts, seaside structures — where natural saltwater resistance makes a difference.
The project also explores dynamic solutions, inspired by maritime and textile traditions: roll-up, pulley, or curtain systems, where the ropes slide and gather. These are ideas that a designer can translate into custom furniture, where the partition is not fixed but opens and closes.
Creating a custom project
All these solutions start from the same material: our 100% natural hemp rope, available in 11 diameters (from 4 to 50 mm) and sold by the meter, to suit both a small domestic screen and a large installation.
And here comes the part that interests us most: we are open to collaboration. We work with architects, interior designers, design studios, and companies that want to integrate hemp into their projects, from the simple supply of custom ropes to material consultancy. Exactly as happened with loomyard, where we supported the designers' work by providing our products.
In addition to ropes, we also have: fabrics, webbing, yarns and a complete line for green building (hempcrete blocks, insulation panels, mortars and plasters). If you are designing a space and want to understand how hemp can fit in, we can discuss it together. Contact us.
Not just dividers: hemp also in nautical applications
The connection between hemp and the sea doesn't stop at ropes. In the past, we collaborated on a project for thermal insulation of a boat with hemp materials instead of plastic: we describe it in the article Thermal insulation of the boat – 3Rproject. Further confirmation of how much this fiber still has to say in the nautical and furniture sectors.
In summary
Hemp rope is not just a product for ties and decorations: it is a material with a deep history, solid performance, and an unexplored potential in furniture and interior design. The loomyard project demonstrates this by bringing it where you wouldn't expect it to divide and define spaces.
We thank Diana, Marta, and Camille for involving us in the loomyard project and for allowing us to share its story.
