Kirei has launched two new acoustic products, Dash Tile and Texture Tile, part of the Tessellate Collection, which combines elevated design and superior sound absorption. The tiles complement the other pieces in the line, and represent the continued exploration of dimension and shape. “I wanted to create this visual theme that went through all of the different scales, from micro to large. And yet they are not exactly the same, they each have their own feeling,” said Michael DiTullo, independent designer and creative director of the Tessellate Collection.
DiTullo wanted to move from two- to three-dimensional because he found that many acoustic solutions like panels are designed to recede. He experimented with different test cuts to create the collection’s signature Tessellate baffle. “There was this triangulated sheet, and when wrapped into a cylinder there is nothing like it, the way that the light plays on the surface.”
The range is designed to work together, rather than presenting a basic offering of single pendants or screens used for separate areas. “We have done lines that just have tiles or launched an all-baffle collection,” DiTullo noted. “And we are starting to get to this place where we like to have a mix of things. It’s about this kind of system mindset, having the architect or designer think about the wall and the ceiling at the same time.”
The Kirei team is always trying to add value, and the innovation process involves people from various departments coming together to share initial concepts or evaluate new construction techniques. DiTullo leads the way by completing his own product trials, in addition to the regular mockups. He noted that when installing panels, a user has to contend with switches or outlets, which can make it difficult to create a seamless look.
DiTullo began thinking about an ideal version of an acoustic tile that has the potential of unlimited flexibility and design combinations. “I think ideas always have different paths,” he said. “And we started with the baffle and the triangulation, but I still wanted to bring something else to the collection.” The collaborative brainstorming sessions yielded interesting results—and not one, but two tiles. Each made of 60% post-consumer recycled PET, the tiles have their own unique styles.
The Texture Tile, with its dense angled geometry and innovative cutting technique, brings a new level of tactility, which wasn’t easy to achieve with zig-zag segments of material. “This was another experiment for the production team. The strips had to be assembled and attached to the backer in a precise placement,” DiTullo noted. And at 24mm thick, Texture boasts one of Kirei’s highest acoustic performances ever. “It is the simple math of more material equals better,” he added.
The Dash Tile features a diagonal design, providing more surface area for exceptional acoustic control. Based on a similar tile that Kirei had already produced, DiTullo put his own spin on the deceptively simple tile. “I went back into the archives, and we did a tile with one dash,” he said. “I scaled it up and angled two dashes instead of one, and then chamfered the edges. All of a sudden, it came to life.”
Depending on the blends, the looks are variable, and they highlight how illumination changes depending on the time of day. “Again, it is this idea of light play, and because of the depth of the Texture Tile you get these shadows and a diagonal effect,” DiTullo noted. On the other end of the style spectrum, the Dash Tile can be printed with Kirei Ink, the company’s custom design printing service.
For DiTullo, designing the tiles was a fun creative exercise, one that he hopes will inspire others to think of acoustic products as more than an afterthought—elements which can transform an interior. “It opened up a whole new field of investigation for us,” he noted. The tiles are easy to install, and you can rotate and combine them to create more interesting looks on the wall. And by adding all of this extra geometry, they perform better. They are aesthetic solutions that are functional, and solve multiple problems at the same time.”
