Winter 2011/12 - Ceramic Tiles of Italy

Published by the Italian Trade Commission of New York
Ceramic Tile Center, 33 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10065
Tel: 212-980-1500 [email protected] www.ItalyTile.com
Winter 2011-2012
Coverings Exhibit
Design Challange
JUDGE’S
COMMENTS
The Italian ceramic tile industry sees
every tradeshow as an opportunity to
work with great designers in showing
off the potential of the material. For the
North American market, Coverings is the
show when the whole tile industry comes
together and the Italians host thousands
of guests at a bustling 3,000sf exhibit in
the heart of the Italian pavilion. Since
1991, Italian tile has called on architects
from prominent studios to create an
exhibit, that does not only inspire, but
serves as a reception, info point, café and
trattoria.
This fall, Confindustria Ceramica, the
Association of Italian Ceramics, joined
forces with Architizer, a dynamic online
community of architects, in a competition
to find the next designer of the Ceramics
of Italy Exhibit for Coverings 2012.
The new exhibit will join a stellar lineup of innovative tile pavilions created
by design luminaries such as Stanley
Tigermann, Arquitectonica, Aldo Rossi,
Vittorio Borelli, Vice President
of Promotional Activities at
Confindustria Ceramica, comments
“We are so pleased with the level of
creativity and design excellence
generated from all over the globe.
It’s a pity we could not build them all!”
And the Winner is...
The NYC-based architecture and design firm, e+i
studio, was selected as the overall winner of the
Ceramics of Italy Exhibit Design Challenge for
their striking “Piazza Ceramica” design. Based
on the idea of an Italian piazza, their proposed
design features a large open gathering space
with gradual steps reminiscent of a piazza
church. According to e+i studio, the topographic
mounds can be recreated into many different
configurations. They will be awarded a $10,000
design fee and $15,000 project management fee to
oversee fabrication and installation of the pavilion.
Exceptional work does not go unnoticed!
Tony Leung, an architect based in Hong Kong,
was recognized as a runner-up and will be
awarded $1,500 for his undulating exhibit
landscape, “Ceramics Carpet.”
Gaetano Pesce, James Wines SITE,
Bernard Tschumi, Mitchell Mauk and
Michael P Johnson.
Prospective architects were
permitted relatively free artistic reign
within a list of criteria for the pavilion
including innovative tile applications, a
restaurant and café and an information
desk for visitors. Additionally, the
exhibit was given a strict budget and
architects were asked to create re-usable
components in order to respect the
Italian tile industry’s commitment to
sustainability.
Projects were judged by
representatives of Confindustria
Ceramica as well as an advisory
committee of previous exhibit architects
including: Bernard Tschumi, Laurinda
Spear, and Michael P. Johnson.
Designers submitted their renderings
online and the winning team will receive
a $25,000 prize package. A runner-up will
also be awarded $1,500.
Michael P. Johnson, principal of
Michael P. Johnson Studio said, “The
proposal by e+i studio is a clever
concept of carving out the functional
requirements of the project. A
landscape of tile-cladded typography
‘steps’ will successfully draw attention
to the booth while the plaza located in
the valley between the hills will create
a rich experience.”
Laurinda Spear, founding principal
of Arquitectonica adds, “’Piazza
Ceramica’ is unique for the way it
utilizes the edges of the pavilion. The
two corners that have been ‘lifted’ off
the ground provide quick access to
the cafés along the corridor, while the
embracing central gathering space
is reminiscent of a valley within the
pavilion.”
Trends
TileNews Trends 2
Creative Recycling
From reintegrating manufacturing
residues to using 95% recycled
materials and recycled glass from
TV screens and computer monitors,
tile manufacturers continue to
push the envelope with new eco
collections.
1 Mosaico+ “Area 25”
www.mosaicopiu.it
2 Floorgres “Ecotech”
www.floorgres.it
3 Refin “Wood 2”
www.refin-ceramic-tiles.com
1
2
3
2
Ceramic Rugs
Tile companies are softening the
look of ceramic floors by offering
decorative tiles with bold and
intricate patterns that mimic
the look of area rugs.
1 FAP “FapNatura”
www.fapceramiche.com
2 Supergres “Selection”
www.supergres.com
3 Cedir “Mediterraneo”
www.cedir.it
1
3
Trends
TileNews Trends 3
In Full Bloom
Flowers are blooming in more than
just the garden this season. Tile
manufacturers are decorating their
ceramics with floral motifs bringing
these blossoms to life.
1 Brennero “Blooming”
www.brennero.com
2 Lea “Audrey” www.ceramichelea.it
3 Atlas Concorde “Gioia”
www.atlasconcorde.it
1
1
2
3
2
Mixed Materials
Thanks to improving digital
technologies, companies are mixing
and matching the look of natural
elements from alabaster and marble
to metal and wood and everything in
between.
1
3
1 Sant’Agostino “Luxor”
www.ceramicasantagostino.it
2 Ariana “Convivium”
www.ariana.it/
3 Rondine “Skema”
www.rondinegroup.com
Design
Enter Win
2012 Ceramics
of Italy Tile
Competition
On The Calendar
It’s that time of year again for the
annual Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition.
Now in its 19th year, the Italian Trade
Commission and Confindustria Ceramica
will recognize the notable work of North
American architects and designers who
have used Italian ceramic tile in their
residential, institutional, or commercial
projects completed between January 2007
and January 2012. The winner in each
category will receive $4,000 and a trip
to Bologna, Italy to attend Cersaie 2012 –
the premier exhibition of ceramic tile and
bathroom furnishings. The three
winning contractor/distributor teams
will also receive a prize of $1,000.
A panel of design experts will judge
the submissions based on the design
and overall visual appeal of the
project, innovative use of tile, quality
of installation and sustainability
considerations. Deadline for submission
is February 17, 2012. Award recipients
will be announced at Coverings 2012 in
Orlando, Florida. For full competition
guidelines and a portfolio of past winners
visit www.tilecompetition.com.
JANUARY 26-29, 2012
IDS - Interior Design Show
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada
For the second year in a row, Ceramics of Italy will head to Toronto to
participate in the Interior Design Show. The multi-brand booth will feature
the latest trends in tile from Italian manufacturers Appiani, Atlas Concorde,
FAP, Giovanni De Maio and Vogue. Ceramics of Italy will also present a
seminar on tile trends with Erin McLaughlin, Editor in Chief of Style at
Home Magazine, on Saturday, January 28 at 3pm.
APRIL 17-20, 2012
COVERINGS 2012
Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL
Back on the east coast, Ceramics of Italy will exhibit at Coverings 2012 in
Orlando, this time with a brand new Italian pavilion designed by e+i design,
the winner of the Ceramics of Italy Exhibit Design Challenge. As always,
the pavilion will be filled with the latest tile trends and Italian refreshments.
TileNews Design Competition 4
NYC
Welcomes
Marazzi
Marazzi, a leading Italian tile
manufacturer with U.S. headquarters
in Sunnyvale, Texas, just opened a
new showroom in New York City. The
5,000-sq.ft space is located at 30 West
21st Street, above NY Stone Manhattan.
Showcasing an array of design-forward,
sustainable collections, including
porcelain stoneware and ceramic slabs
for vertical surfaces offered by Marazzi
Tecnica, this new showroom will be
a source of inspiration for architects
and designers that specify tile in their
projects.
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The Italian Trade Commission is the government agency that promotes trade and business opportunities between Italy and foreign markets. For three decades, the Italian Tile Center
at the Italian Trade Commission in New York has worked in close collaboration with Confindustria Ceramica (The Association of Italian Ceramics) to promote Italian ceramic Tiles
to architects, designers, dealers and distributors through a wide range of activities and services. Our services range from seminars to participation in trade shows to our most popular
function, an online Tile Search, which allows users to search our database of Italian tile manufacturers and locate U.S. and Canadian dealers.
For more information visit our website italytile.com or contact us at: Italian Trade Commission, Ceramic Tile Center,
33 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10065 e-mail: [email protected]. CONTENT: Novità Communications, DESIGN: Maiarelli Studio