Tag: ceramic-tile | ArchDaily

How Spanish Ceramics Bridge Culture, Memory and Identity at Milan Design Week 2026

Agustina Iñiguez — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 06:45:00 +0000

How does an architectural installation express the identity of a region? How can a building material connect with the essence of a nation? Throughout its history, Spain has been shaped by a wide range of cultures and civilizations, including Muslim, Phoenician, Roman, Greek, Carthaginian, and Visigothic influences. From flamenco to ceramic tiles adorning façades and historic monuments, each region of Spain embraces its own customs and traditions, reflected in its architecture, history, art, and design. During Milan Design Week 2026, Tile of Spain presents Spanish Design as a Souvenir at the Fuorisalone—an installation that transforms ceramic tile into a narrative medium through a series of sculptural objects reinterpreting everyday icons of Spanish life.

Beyond the Limits of the Project: The Architectural Potential of Extruded Ceramic Tiles

Rene Submissions — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 01:30:00 +0000

All architecture is grounded in the earth. This pliant, resilient raw material is the origin of extruded ceramic tiles—clay transformed from its natural state into an architectural solution without relinquishing any of its authenticity. Exagres' work is rooted in this natural material, carefully transforming the clay with skillful precision and guiding it on this journey rather than forcing it.

Tradition in Clay: Vietnam's Architectural Exploration with Traditional Tiles

Moises Carrasco — Sun, 27 Jul 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Red clay roof tiles appear in many architectural traditions around the world, despite the cultures being geographically or historically distant. However, this isn't necessarily surprising. Clay is an abundant and accessible building material worldwide, with some studies and other sources suggesting it comprises approximately 10-13% of the Earth's soils. Red tiles, in particular, are often a product of the local soil's mineral content and the firing process. Their widespread use across unrelated regions is less about shared cultural influence and more about material logic: clay is cheap, durable, and easy to work with using simple tools and techniques. In Vietnam, for example, there is a unique and visible tradition of clay tile use that dates back centuries. Regions like Vinh Long, nicknamed the "kingdom of red ceramics", have an abundance of this material, supporting a long history of tile-making. In some parts of Vietnam, these tiles are known as Yin-Yang tiles, due to the concave and convex shape in which they are formed during production.

Carving Pietra Tiburtina: A Contemporary Approach to Classic Travertine

Enrique Tovar — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 06:45:00 +0000

Travertine —known as lapis tiburtinus by the ancient Romans— has endured for centuries as one of the most iconic materials in Italian design heritage. This limestone has left a lasting mark on architectural history, from the monuments of the Roman Empire to contemporary works like the Church of 2000 and the Ara Pacis Museum. Over time, its aesthetic has evolved alongside art and design, adapting to technical advancements while preserving its essence and relevance in modern architecture.

Refined Geometry, Organic Texture: Timeless Spaces with Elongated Tiles

Tom Howells — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 06:45:00 +0000

Ceramic tiles are a decorative form almost as old as time—originating in ancient Mesopotamia, where they were first used around 4,000 years ago. Today, they serve as a global motif, both ascetic and pictorial, available in a panoply of colors and textures. Formed from the elemental process of firing clay, minerals and water at high heats, tiles become a robust, hard-wearing material with a myriad of applications.

Renovations in Barcelona: 8 Apartments that Preserve Their Hydraulic Tile Floors

Agustina Iñiguez — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 07:30:00 +0000

In the quest to preserve certain architectural, historical, and cultural features of original Catalan homes, apartment renovations are conceived as a means of connecting the past and the present through the recovery and/or restoration of coverings, flooring, carpentry, facades, and more. The history of ceramics in Spain has evolved over the years, experiencing periods of productive flourishing as well as decline. However, the expressive language, versatility, and adaptability of hydraulic tiles to tradition and the future stand out in homes' interior and exterior spaces with their wide combination of colors, textures, and patterns.

Heatherwick Studio Unveils Design for New Shopping District in the Ancient City of Xi’an, China

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Heatherwick Studio has revealed the design of a new shopping district in the historic city of Xi’an in Shaanxi, China. The proposal aims to highlight the city’s rich heritage of ceramic-making and, through this, to create a sensory experience for visitors in opposition to the restricted act of online shopping. Spanning over 1115,000 square meters, the development features a mixture of functions, from offices, apartments, and a hotel, to a variety of green spaces, rooftop terraces, gardens, and a sunken terrace, all doubling as social spaces. The project is under construction and scheduled for completion in 2024.

How to Use Alternative Products and Materials to Reduce a Project’s Carbon Footprint

James Wormald — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 04:30:00 +0000

Working within the restrictions of a limited carbon footprint can be one of the hardest – but also most rewarding – parts of a modern architect’s role. Whether to suit a large multinational corporation’s sustainability report, to achieve LEED status or similar for a commercial developer, or to build an eco-home for a climate-conscious private client – or even one who just wants to spend less on energy, it’s imperative to keep up-to-date with the latest carbon-neutral and low-carbon building practices and materials.

The History of Portugal’s Long Relationship With Ceramics, and Where it Goes From Here

James Wormald — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

When a country becomes known for its most famous export, the two together can become synonymous with quality. Combinations such as French wine, Italian marble and German engineering are examples of the hallmark of excellence provided simply by a product’s geographic birthplace. While Portugal’s most famous and most passionate exports could equally be cork, football, or egg-based sweet treats, there’s far more to the Portuguese culture and economy than preening soccer players and custard tarts.

Call for Entries: Ceramics of Italy 2020 Tile Competition

Rene Submissions — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 14:22:00 +0000

The Ceramics of Italy 2020 Tile Competition awards top North American architects and designers for their exceptional work and creative use of Italian ceramic or porcelain tile in built projects around the world. An international jury of design experts will review submissions from all over the continent and ultimately select winners in four categories - residential, commercial, institutional, and student.

Winners will receive $2,000 cash, an all-expenses-paid CEU-accredited trip to Bologna, Italy for Cersaie 2020, and the opportunity to present their projects in front of a large audience at Coverings in New Orleans.

The competition is presented by Confindustria Ceramica

Walk Through and Experience the Rich History of Ceramics With 'Gateways'

Samantha Buckley — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 14:00:00 +0000

You’re going to wish you saw this Instagram worthy art installation. Gateways (@Landofceramics) at the central fountain in Granary Square, King’s Cross closed this week. It was designed to celebrate the DesignJunction event (September 21-24) an interior design show by and for the industry, set in challenging industrial sites as part of the greater London Design Festival.