Ceramics of Italy just wrapped up another successful edition of Coverings (May 8-11 in Atlanta) with a dynamic, tile-clad exhibit designed by e+i studio and hundreds of new tile and setting products from over 120 brands.
In case you missed the action, here are a few highlights:
- Live build-out of a tiny home designed by The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry and installed by Visalia Ceramic Tile featuring Ceramics of Italy products
- Cancos Tile & Stone was honored with the 2018 Confindustria Ceramica North American Distributor Award
- Winners of the 2018 Tile Competition were announced including Studio Libeskind, Ziger/Snead and ZAS Architects + Interiors
- World premiere of Timeless Tiles: The Italian Legacy, a film commemorating the 25th anniversary of the tile competition, directed by Francesca Molteni and architectural historian Fulvio Irace
Please see press releases below for more information about the 2018 Confindustria Ceramica North American Distributor Award and the 2018 Tile Competition.
Also, if you have ICFF on your calendar this week, make sure to stop by the Ceramics of Italy Pavilion (booths 2219-2319) where 15 brands will showcase the latest trends in tile – from porcelain emulating terrazzo, marble and eucalyptus wood to new designer collections and outdoor tile!
CANCOS TILE AND STONE WINS 2018 CONFINDUSTRIA CERAMICA NORTH AMERICAN DISTRIBUTOR AWARD
(Atlanta, GA – May 2018) Customer-oriented, knowledgeable distributors with a rich array of products make the influential presence of Italian ceramic tile in North America possible. To recognize this important contribution, each year Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) honors an exemplary North American tile distributor with the prestigious North American Distributor Award. After surveying the numerous excellent distributors across the continent, Cancos Tile and Stone emerged as this year’s award recipient for the 28th edition due to its community-centric identity and impeccable attention to detail as an importer and distributor of ceramic tile for commercial and residential applications. This will be Cancos Tile and Stone’s second time receiving this award. The award was announced at this year’s edition of Coverings – the largest tile and stone show in North America – and presented to Cancos Tile and Stone on May 9th at a private reception hosted by Ceramics of Italy amongst a group of industry professionals.
Cancos Tile and Stone was selected by a jury including members of the Confindustria Ceramica Board of Directors and representatives from Italian tile manufacturers. The criteria included: consistency, exemplary service as an Italian tile importer and distributor, a high calibre corporate image, inclination towards Ceramics of Italy products in recognition of their innovative design and technical qualities, and fair trade practices in relation to Italian manufacturers. At Ceramics of Italy’s annual Serata Italiana at Coverings (this year held at World of Coca-Cola on May 9th), Confindustria Ceramica President Vittorio Borelli presented the award to Cancos Tile and Stone President Mark Valva. The prize package includes a complimentary trip to Cersaie – the world’s largest international exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings – taking place in Bologna, Italy from September 24-28, 2018.
Cancos Tile and Stone has been an exemplary distributor for over 60 years since their establishment in 1953. The family owned and operated business has maintained all of the skills and the knowledge required to provide unique and exclusive materials, whilst adapting to the rapid changes in the consumer market and catering to customer needs. Cancos Tile and Stone is devoted to the philosophy of acquiring and providing the very best products from the finest manufacturers and producers in the world at the best possible prices. They emphasise their ability to maintain personalized customer service with their in-house trucking system and advanced scheduling system. Their dedication is evident amongst the 12 designer showrooms (located in NY and NJ) as well as over 400,000 square feet of warehouse capacity, which houses an immense selection of ceramic and porcelain tiles. They also ensure that their tiles can be made available to their customers polished, unpolished or glazed, in a variety of different styles to maintain flexibility.
Cancos Tile and Stone’s online presence allows their customers to immerse themselves in the beautiful world of tile through their numerous social media platforms as well as their company website. Their products are clearly displayed on the website, allowing a streamlined viewing of products (under their composition) that expand into closeups for a more in-depth examination of the tiles themselves. The products are not only displayed individually, but are also contextualized in home settings under their ‘gallery’, allowing customers to view the tiles as they would be in their own homes. Not only does Cancos Tile and Stone present high quality products, the company goes above and beyond to provide information, allowing customers to learn more about the tiles, coupled with an elaborate how-to on proper tile maintenance. The care and attention to detail that Cancos Tile and Stone provides to their customer and the tile industry has has raised the standard for excellence in this sector, making them the appropriate recipient of their second Confindustria Ceramica North American Distributor Award. They carry the following Ceramics of Italy brands: Castelvetro, Cerdomus, Del Conca, Edilcuoghi, Edilgres, Elios, Faro, Fincibec, Fioranese, Happy House, Imola, Isla, Kronos, LaFabbrica, Refin, Sant’Agostino, Serenissima, and Supergres.
Firm: Studio Libeskind
Project: Sapphire
Photographer: Hufton + Crow
CERAMICS OF ITALY ANNOUNCES 2018 TILE COMPETITION WINNERS
Seven Exceptional Projects Are Honored with Prestigious Award from an International Jury For the 25th Anniversary
(Atlanta, GA – May 2018) Now in its 25th year, the Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition – the longest-running award program of its kind – is proud to announce seven outstanding projects that capture the competition’s goal of honoring the innovative use of Italian tile in North American architecture and design. Sponsored by Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) and the Italian Trade Agency, the competition attracted a large number of high-quality submissions in four categories: residential, commercial, institutional for built projects; and a new student category, created to celebrate imaginative concepts using Italian tile. An international jury of design industry experts reviewed and evaluated the projects, ultimately selecting four winners and three honorable mentions among the steep competition.
Past winners of the Tile Competition represent some of the most prestigious firms from around the world, including Yabu Pushelberg and Bernard Tschumi to Pritzker Prize–winning architects like Renzo Piano. Joining these winners, the 2018 recipients were announced during the Ceramics of Italy International Press Conference at Coverings.
The prize package for the winning firms will include a prize of $3,000 as well as an all-expenses-paid, CEU-accredited trip to Bologna, Italy to attend Cersaie – the world’s largest exhibition of ceramic tile and sanitaryware – as part of a VIP delegation of specifiers and journalists. Contractors and distributors involved in each winning project will also be awarded a cash prize for their valued contribution.
To commemorate this historic milestone, Ceramics of Italy has created a film honoring the past, present and future of the competition. Debuting at Coverings, Timeless Tiles: The Italian Legacy is directed by Francesca Molteni and architectural historian Fulvio Irace who provide an insightful retrospective of 25 years of North American architecture and design using Italian ceramics. The film features projects and interviews from notable architects from across Canada and the United States and tells the story of the competition from its inception in 1994 to present day. The four winners of this year’s competition also participated in a discussion with Edie Cohen, Deputy Editor at Interior Design, at Coverings called Ceramics of Italy Celebrates 25 Years of Design.
COMMERCIAL WINNER
Firm: Studio Libeskind
Project: Sapphire
Location: Berlin, Germany
Tile Manufacturer: Casalgrande Padana
Distributor: Casalgrande Padana
Contractor: Medicke Metallbau GmbH, NL Berlin
The Sapphire project involved building 73 desirable, 1-4 bedroom apartments on a plot less than half an acre, whilst promoting new technologies and sustainability. One of the most important design elements were the tiles used to cover 2,600 sq. m. of the building’s exterior. The three dimensional, geometric, patterned stoneware tile was a signature design feature for this project. Designed by Daniel Libeskind for Casalgrande Padana, the Fractile tiles are technologically advanced to self-clean and aid in air purification. The tiles were also used on the balcony wall creating a continuous surface extending from the building’s façade. Around 3,600 tiles were used in the project. The Fractile series continues on the building’s interior, through the bathrooms, resulting in a vibrant metallic finish for the floors and the shower walls.
COMMERCIAL HONORABLE MENTION
Firm: Kay Green Design
Project: Venetian Isle Clubhouse
Location: Windermere, FL
Tile Manufacturer: Floor Gres, Ergon, Marca Corona
Distributor: Ceramic Technics
Contractor: Martin’s Flooring
The Venetian Isle Clubhouse is a multi-family community clubhouse in Windermere, Florida that is an elegant entertaining space for all ages. Tiles from Floor Gres and Ergon were used throughout the space due to their high quality, yet resilient surfacing. The project was inspired by the city of Venice, therefore Italian tile was naturally the most authentic choice. The designer also felt confident that tile from Italian companies would ensure a high level of quality and aesthetic that she was seeking for the project. Floor Gres’s Floor Tech tiles were used as the main overall floor tile while Marca Corona’s Terra collection was used for the vanity wall in the restroom and Ergon Elegance Engineered Stone was used as a floor mosaic.
RESIDENTIAL WINNER
Firm: Ziger/Snead Architects*
Project: Baltimore Slate House
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Tile Manufacturer: Imola Ceramica
Distributor: Conestoga Tile
Contractor: Custom Concepts by Greenwalt
Setting Materials: Mapei
*2009 Residential Honorable Mention
The Slate House is a contemporary retreat that respects nature and the legacy of the vast and densely wooded site. The 7,000 sq ft building was destroyed by a recent house fire, however the design team set out to reconnect the site to the existing contextual environment. The design embodies an archetypal gable form, a geometric extrusion that is both reductive and minimal that yields cathedral ceilings. Tiles from Imola Ceramica Concrete Project were selected for all of the flooring throughout the home, and Mapei products were used for the setting materials. It was chosen due to the seamlessly transitional ability to use same product inside and outside and support the architectural vision to blur the interior and exterior spaces. Italian tile was selected due to its quality and the large format size options which were needed for the design of this private home.
RESIDENTIAL HONORABLE MENTION
Firm: DI Group
Project: Norwich
Location: West Hollywood, CA
Tile Manufacturer: Refin
Distributor: DI Group
Contractor: Darmont Construction Corporation
The Norwich proiect is a contemporary family home in West Hollywood, California, made up of open communal spaces ideal for entertaining and family life. With lots of windows allowing for natural light throughout the space, light colored neutral tiles were used to reflect the light and translate the openness of the interior across the flooring. Three tile collections from Refin (District, Larix and Barrique) were used in the interior and exterior of the home demonstrating the versatile properties of Italian tile.
Firm: ZAS Architects + Interiors
Project: Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence at York University
Photographer: Double Space Photography
INSTITUTIONAL WINNER
Firm: ZAS Architects + Interiors
Project: Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence at York University
Location: North York, Ontario
Tile Manufacturer: ABK
Distributor: Division 9
Contractor: Gem Campbell Terrazzo & Tile Inc.
Setting Materials: Mapei
For the Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence at York University, the client wanted to demonstrate sustainable building practices, while utilizing the advantages of an existing campus energy system. The project has been registered with the CaGBC and has targeted LEED Gold certification along with Toronto Green Standard Tier 2. ABK Downtown tiles were used on the ground floor, throughout the corridors and in the social spaces with Mapei products completing the space as the setting materials. Tiles were also installed in assembly and exhibition spaces, as well as the student café and the orientation room. Although polished concrete was considered for the project, porcelain tile was chosen in the end due to its durability, low porosity and stain resistant properties. Italian tile provided a clean, simple and contemporary look matching that of natural concrete but captured tonal and pattern variation achieved through the latest technology.
INSTITUTIONAL HONORABLE MENTION
Firm: O’Brien & Keane
Project: Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Tile Manufacturer: Provenza, Ergon
Distributor: Architectural Ceramics
Contractor: David Allen Company
Setting Materials: Mapei
The design for the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral builds on the heritage of classical sacred architecture arranged in a cruciform layout, with the main axis of the building placed in an east to west orientation. The building is approximately 43,000 square feet and has a seating capacity of over 2,000 people. The main building announces the design theme and introduces classical order. The client wanted to focus on environmentally conscious and resilient materials for the project, therefore Italian porcelain tile was chosen as an ideal material for sustainable building. Beautiful tiles from Provenza Q-Stone as well as Ergon’s Silverstone and Back2Back collections were used on the floor throughout the Nave, Transepts and Narthe. Various products from Mapei were used as setting materials including grouts, sealants and self-leveling underlayment. Additional benefits of tile that were a consideration when selecting a flooring material were the low water absorption due to its compact and non-porous structure.
STUDENT WINNER
Entrant: Raquel Raney and Brennan Broome
University Name: Florida International University
Declared Major: Interior Architecture
Project: Dover Street Market
Location: Miami, FL
Tile Manufacturer: Atlas Concorde, Ceramica Vogue, Ornamenta
The Dover Street Market offers an environment where the classic, elegance of art and fashion collide with an industrial aesthetic. The use of ceramic and porcelain tile, as pictured in the renderings, allows for the desired aesthetic to be achieved, while using cost-effective and environmentally-friendly materials that will hold their integrity for many years. The variety of colors, patterns and textures of ceramic tiles, create endless opportunities for juxtaposition of the industrial-like materials with polished, sophisticated surfaces. A mix of collections from Atlas Concorde, Ceramica Vogue and Ornamenta were selected to complement the interior design. Due to its consistency and composition, tile is one of the most durable floor materials and lasts much longer than traditional glazed tile, making it a great selection for a high traffic retail store.
Ceramics of Italy is the trademark for Italian manufacturers of ceramic tiles, sanitaryware and tableware, that are members of Confindustria Ceramica. For more information visit ceramica.info or follow Ceramics of Italy on Facebook (@CeramicsOfItalyNA) and YouTube (@LaCeramicaItaliana) as well as Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram (@CeramicsOfItaly).