CERASPAÑA 22 ingles.indd

CERASPAÑA/22
2009 / CERAMICS / ARCHITECTURE / DESIGN
CEVISAMA 2009
NATURE IN CERAMIC
A SUSTAINABLE “CERAMIC OASIS” IN BARCELONA
TRANS/HITOS 2009: NETWORKS. THE FUTURE OF CERAMIC
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Editorial
Summary
Ceramic for all seasons
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CERAMIC FOR ALL SEASONS
This new issue of CERASPAÑA will drop through readers’ letterboxes in spring
and it is no coincidence that it addresses the issue of nature in ceramic. This
is the time of year that nature renews itself and ceramic tiles mirror this change faithfully. The latest technological advances such as digital printing and
screen printing make it possible to bring the natural world to ceramic tiles so
that the passage of time and the changing seasons can be echoed in ceramic.
03
NATURE MAKES DRAMATIC ENTRANCE
INTO OUR HOMES
08
CEVISAMA 2009 EXCEEDS INITIAL
EXPECTATIONS
10
TRANS/HITOS 2009: NETWORKS. THE
FUTURE OF CERAMIC TILE
14
SUN, SAND AND CERAMIC TILE
16
INTERVIEW: JAUME COLL CONESA
18
CERAMIC IN ITS PLACE
21
SHOWROOM
26
WRAP-AROUND CERAMIC
30
NEWS AND EVENTS
31
READER SERVICES
As the year moves on summer arrives and the heat begins to bear down. Ventilated façade systems – another innovation of recent years – enable houses
not just to stay cooler during the summer but also to make significant energy
savings. Equally, for as long as winter lasts, they help keep homes warmer.
While these are very new applications for ceramic tile, the material has been
used for as long as human beings have been around, according to Jaume Coll,
Director of the National Ceramic Museum, in an interview in this magazine.
When talking of time, one must of course also mention the future. The Trans/
hitos exhibit at Cevisama is the best reflection there is of what is to come, of
the future for this product.
Ceramic tile is not, therefore, alien to new times. These carry with them
new requirements in design and applications and the industry has always
risen to the challenge, offering new products or features that satisfy the latest
demands. Proof of this is are the new products in our ‘Showroom’ and the
report on the “Office Building in Valencia” by Ruiz-Larrea, who won a prize in
the latest round of Ceramic Tile Awards.
The true value of ceramic tile, most definitely, is in its ability to adapt to the meteorological conditions of the moment and endure through chronological time
ISSUE 22 · 2009
EDITED BY ASCER
Spanish Ceramic
Tile Manufacturers´ Association
C/ Ginjols, 3 · 12003 Castellón · Spain
Tel. +34 964 727 200 · Fax +34 964 727 212
global@ascer.es · http://spaintiles.info
Ceraspaña is a free newsletter distributed
by ASCER.
PUBLISHED BY
Iberamic Inc.
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
Plató
SPONSORED BY
ICEX, Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade
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FRONT COVER PHOTO: TRANSHITOS 2009.
PHOTOGRAPHER: JORDI FONT DE MORA
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NATURE MAKES DRAMATIC ENTRANCE INTO
OUR HOMES
Architecture and interior design have recently revealed a human desire for nature to be a stronger presence in our surroundings. Different decorative trends are focusing on making substantial reference to natural elements, either symbolically
or in a more realistic way. As a prime decorative element, ceramic tile offers a wide range of possibilities where motifs
inspired in nature are being given a multitude of expressions and treatments, creating an almost limitless set of aesthetic
possibilities.
Continues on page 4...
Motifs inspired by nature are a major feature of many tile collections.
Rocersa, Onix and Floris series.
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F
or some time now decorative elements
inspired by nature have become increasingly prominent in numerous contexts. First
they conquered the catwalks then slowly
built up their presence in other areas such as
interior design, graphic design and industrial
design.
Cerámicas Myr, Boston series.
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As an important part of the universe that determines the final look of the spaces in which
we live, the world of ceramic tile is also experiencing a boom in decorative motifs that
draw directly on sources in our natural environment: flowers, leaves and branches,
textures and graphics inspired by the plant
kingdom along with references to zen and a
resurgence of color.
New technology in the decoration of ceramic
such as digital printing, together with more
traditional technology such as screen printing
and hand painting, mean that these designs
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can be approached from different perspectives to obtain results that cater for all tastes
and styles.
Tiles are available where the motifs are the
main feature, as are others where the references to the plant world are far more subtle:
simple insinuations as to shape and outline
or veiled images. In some instances what is
portrayed are sprigs, leaves or little flowers
that trace out decorative fret work on border
or edging tiles. Elsewhere we see enormous
floral adornments on large format tiles, even to
the point that they create mural compositions.
As to aesthetic treatment, there are many different interpretations: from the most realistic
motifs that attempt to be a faithful copy of the
textures and colors of the flowers and leaves
(on occasion you can even find a photograph
printed onto the tile thanks to the new digital
printing techniques), to more abstract simplifications and symbolic or sometimes simple
depictions of these motifs.
AS A PRIME DECORATIVE ELEMENT, CERAMIC TILE
OFFERS A RANGE OF POSSIBILITIES, WHERE MOTIFS
INSPIRED IN NATURE ARE BEING GIVEN A MULTITUDE
OF EXPRESSIONS AND TREATMENTS, CREATING AN
ALMOST LIMITLESS SET OF AESTHETIC POSSIBILITIES
REFERENCES TO
NATURE – REALISTIC IN
STYLE ON OCCASION,
MORE CONCEPTUAL OR
ABSTRACT ELSEWHERE –
ARE BECOMING A
COMMON DENOMINATOR
ACROSS MANY
DECORATIVE TRENDS
THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY
DIFFERENT
Some current concepts even go a step further: they have no intention of making a simple graphic or visual reference to elements
in nature but, rather, seek to establish a correlation, an interaction between ceramic tile
and nature. Thus we find ceramic tile products designed so that vegetation – grass,
climbers, etc. – can grow between the joints
or through holes punched in the tiles for this
purpose, thereby achieving total communion
between nature and ceramic.
Vives, Samburu series.
Continues on page 6...
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In any event, this interest in creating a place
for nature within our spaces, be it in a realistic or more conceptual manner, is becoming
a common denominator across different decorative styles. The elements we are talking
about sometimes appear in spaces with very
heavy décor characterized by excess and
luxury along the lines of neo-baroque, yet
they also appear in minimalist spaces and
spaces where the lines are pure as a counter-
point in the midst of predominantly geometric
styles. These elements are widely present
in those styles whose main aim is to create “friendly” spaces where the surroundings
convey harmony, peace, respite and even a
certain degree of spirituality to those living in
them. They are also used where designers
are looking to the past and are re-interpreting
trends from other periods such as ‘Pop Art’ or
‘Art Nouveau’.
It would definitely seem to be clear that while society is in the full throes of technological and digital expansion and of the human
being’s urban development, there is a parallel
phenomenon going on that is driving us to
strengthen our contact with nature. Oriental
philosophies are enjoying a resurgence in the
western world and the need to make a commitment and adopt a responsible approach to
the environment is becoming an increasingly
present feature of our day to day life.
Gres de Breda, Antica series.
Cerámicas Aparici, Passione series.
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NATURAL MOTIFS
APPEAR IN SPACES
WITH VERY HEAVY DÉCOR
BUT ALSO APPEAR IN
MINIMALIST SPACES AND
IN STYLES THAT SEEK TO
CREATE HARMONY AND
SPIRITUALITY.
ALSO WHEN
DECORATORS
REINTERPRET TRENDS
FROM OTHER PERIODS
SUCH AS ‘POP ART’ AND
‘ART NOUVEAU’
These and other factors conspire in some
way to make Nature infiltrate into our homes
and into public spaces. We are inviting it to
be a part of our lives and we find the comforting sensations it provides contagious. Without actually taking steps backwards we
are indeed looking back, perhaps yearning for
past times when our relationship with nature
was closer
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THE RESURGENCE OF
ORIENTAL PHILOSOPHIES,
THE INCREASING
COMMITMENT TO THE
ENVIRONMENT AND THE
RESPONSIBLE APPROACH
TO THE ENVIRONMENT
ARE JUST SOME OF THE
FACTORS THAT ARE
PROMPTING REFERENCES
TO NATURE IN HOMES
AND PUBLIC SPACES
Venis, Deco Flowers series .
Cerámicas l’Alcalatén, Otoñal series.
Azuvi, Urban series.
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CEVISAMA 2009 SHOWS THE BEST OF
SPANISH INNOVATION
he 27th edition of CEVISAMA (Valencia, 10th – 13th February) exceeded
expectations in terms of visitor numbers, which had been less optimistic on account of the negative situation of the global economy.
T
Provisional figures indicate a drop of around 16% in the number of foreign
visitors and of 18.5% in the number of domestic visitors. On the other
hand, interestingly, the number of visitors from Arab countries increased.
Specifiers – that is the architects, interior designers and the many members of the press who visited – rated the fair very highly and were particularly impressed by the high standard and considerable number of new
designs and applications that Spain’s ceramic tile industry presented at
Cevisama.
The winners of the Alfa de Oro awards were proof of the considerable
degree of innovation that Spanish Ceramic Tile companies exhibited. The
awards are given by the Spanish Ceramic and Glass Society to the best
products on show at Cevisama, with this year’s awards going to products
developed as the result of major research.
The ASCER stand at CEVISAMA responded to enquiries from many visitors
who expressed interest in the Spanish tiles on display.
The specifiers who visited CEVISAMA 2009 singled out the impressive degree of innovation seen in the designs and applications for ceramic tiles.
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SPECIFIERS GIVE HIGH PRAISE AS FAIR
EXCEEDS VISTOR NUMBER FORECASTS
One winner was “BIONICTILE®” by Ceracasa – tiles that can reduce concentrations of nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere through photo-catalytic
processes. The work carried out by Tau in developing its “Civis” line of
floor tiles for public spaces was also recognized as these tiles feature
biomechanical properties relating to durability, safety and comfort. (For
more informatIon see page 30).
Aside from these two manufacturers many companies showed new technical features as well as tiles developed for the contract market such
as giant 4X4 feet format tiles (120x120 cm.), floor tiles for use in high
traffic areas and public spaces, developments for raised floors and ventilated façades…and much more.
ASCER and the Tile of Spain umbrella brand, for their part, scheduled
a program of activities for the international press that had come to the
fair: visits to stands, Trans/Hitos and factories, an international press
conference, the Tile of Spain Awards ceremony, the now traditional
gala dinner, etc.
The winners of the 7th Ceramic Tile Awards show off their trophies to the many
journalists who attended the award ceremony.
UPCOMING FAIRS
There are two major events on the Spanish ceramic tile manufacturers’ exhibition calendar for the second quarter of the year:
Mosbuild and Coverings.
ahead of the event to Russian specifiers and buyers of ceramic
tile products and construction materials. A Russian edition of
Ceraspaña magazine will also be distributed from the Spanish
stand as will the tile “Buyers’ Guide”, which includes information
on Spain’s ceramic tile sector and contact details for all Spanish
tile companies.
Parallel with the exhibition itself, ICEX and the Office for Economic
and Commercial Affairs of the Spanish Embassy in Moscow, will
be organizing a press conference that will provide attendees with
information on Tile of Spain’s presence at Mosbuild and on the
Russian market.
As well as going to the Mosbuild exhibition, ASCER is organizing a number of
seminars for professionals in several other Russian cities.
MOSBUILD (MOSCOW, MARCH 31 TO APRIL 3)
The Russian market has been and is performing well, with Spanish exports having risen by some 38% in 2008. This has prompted a significant representation of Tile of Spain – 50 companies –
at Mosbuild. One of the main activities aiming to promote Spain’s
participation in the exhibition was a trade advertising campaign
in magazines such as Interior+Design, Building Technologies and
Idei Vashego Doma. A catalog of the Spanish companies exhibiting at the fair has been produced as an item of promotional material and will be handed out to visitors as well as being mailed
COVERINGS (CHICAGO, APRIL 21-24)
Coverings on the other hand, which takes place in Chicago for the
second time will see 15 Spanish ceramic tile manufacturers take
part. As part of the Tile of Spain promotion strategy in the United
States, Spain’s presence at the fair is set to enjoy a boost from a
series of parallel activities. These are designed to enhance the
industry’s image in that marketplace and include an advertising
campaign for tiles, trade missions, guided visits for journalists
and technical training courses for North American architects and
interior designers. Spanish products are increasingly appreciated and are already perceived as products that offer high quality,
design and technological innovation
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TRANS/HITOS 2009: NETWORKS
Trans/Hitos once again showed the most cutting edge ceramic and the latest design trends in ceramic tile.
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If Cevisama is the best exhibit of the Spanish ceramic tile industry’s capability
in regards to innovation and design, then Trans/hitos is a showcase of what is
to come, of this material’s almost infinite versatility and vast potential, of how it
breaks the established patterns and of art and creativity in their purest form. Trans/
hitos is, most definitely, the perfect complement to Cevisama.
The future of ceramic tile
For the fifth year in a row Spain’s leading ceramic tile fair, CEVISAMA, was the backdrop
for the Trans/hitos exhibit, which this year
was sub-titled “Networks”. The huge quantity of information that circulates today at high
speed through infinite and complex networks across various successive hubs was the
starting point for the multi task team at ALICER, the Design and Architecture department
at the Institute for Ceramic Tile Technology, in
their approach to creating this space.
IMPORTANCE OF
TRANS/HITOS REVEALED
BY SITING IN EXHIBITION
VENUE’S CENTRAL HALL
Trans/hitos became a place for people to
gather together and meet, and not for any
reason. Its location in the Feria Valencia’s
complex central mall reflected the importance of this display of unique projects in which
ceramic tile is the main feature. A number of
leading experts in architecture, design and interior design help with the project. This year
it was the chance of architect José Durán and
designers Entresitio, who are both winners
of the sixth ceramic tile in Architecture and
Interior Design Awards organized by ASCER.
The Trans/hitos 2009 spaces were set over a
long red, fuchsia and orange carpet.
Continues on page 12...
The seven installations presented at Trans/hitos 2009 filled the geographical center of the exhibition complex and
became a Cevisama landmark.
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1.- HOMENAJE
The winners of the 7th Ceramic Tile in Architecture and Interior Design Awards constituted
the main feature of Area 1. A structure comprising different levels and spaces for relaxation
sought to envelop visitors and invite them to
sit and contemplate the settings in which the
winners of these prizes were displayed.
TRANS/HITOS IS A
SHOWCASE FOR THE
ALMOST INFINITE
VERSATILITY OF CERAMIC
TILE AND ITS ENORMOUS
POTENTIAL
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2.- ROOM ESCAPE
3.- LUNA LUNERA
“Room Escape” was the name given to Area
2, a space in the shape of a cube in which
ceramic tiles were used to explain the rules
of the game. The space was a game in which
visitors had to use their ingenuity to escape
from fictitious incarceration.
3
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“Luna lunera”, by José Durán, was inspired
by nature and created a little forest in the
midst of the inevitable hubbub of an event the
size of Cevisama.
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4.- MEETING POINT
7.- RESERVA
“Meeting point”, in Area 4, offered visitors a
place to relax in by availing themselves of a
structure that was a physical representation
of the Networks as a fractal node and served
at once as a medium for providing information
and a meeting point.
The last item on the Trans/hitos trail was “Reserva” (‘Reserve’), a sustainable home inside
an igloo made of ceramic tiles. The multimedia installation inside the igloo showed
projects that the Trends Department at ALICER had worked on in 2008 and that aimed
to capture in ceramic tile the design trends
identified by the Observatory of Trends in the
Home.
5.- PENETRABLE C
Area 5, titled “Penetrable C”, was one of the
installations that sparked the most curiosity
amongst visitors because it was highly interactive. “Penetrable C” was a curtain made
of ceramic beads similar to the metallic window screens that were used to stop insects
from getting inside houses. What was unique
about it was that the beads that made up the
curtain were made of ceramic.
4
ARCHITECT JOSÉ DURÁN
AND DESIGNERS ESTUDIO
ENTRESITIOS ARE SOME
OF THE COLLABORATORS
ON THIS FIFTH EXHIBIT
6.- ONDAS ORBITALES
‘Orbital Waves’ was unusual in that it used
different materials that created contrasts and
awoke sensations such as warmth, abstraction, neutrality etc. The sinuous movements
of the elements that made up this design also
created eye-catching geometric shapes and
different types of finish.
Trans/hitos 2009 was made possible thanks
to the sponsorship of the Valencia Regional
Government’s Ministry of Trade and Innovation, through the Institute for Small and Medium Enterprises (IMPIVA), European Funds
for Regional Development (FEDER) and the
support of entities such as ASCER, the DDI
and Cevisama itself
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HIGHLY INTERACTIVE
CHARACTER OF
“PENETRABLE C”, A
CURTAIN MADE OF
CERAMIC, MADE IT AN
OUTSTANDING FEATURE
OF THE EXHIBIT
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SUN, SAND AND CERAMIC TILE
In the hands of Lagranja design studios a typical item of urban summer furniture, a
beach hut, becomes a cutting edge, sustainable sculpture project created entirely
from ceramic tile. No one can be indifferent to the result.
Ceramic Oasis” is the name of the installation that leading international design
and architecture firm, Lagranja, designed for
Tile of Spain within the framework of Casa
Decor Barcelona 2008. Five beach huts, five
colors, five messages – all created in ceramic. The most recent edition of Spain’s top
cutting edge and interior design exhibition
focused on sustainability and, as a way of
conveying the message, featured ceramic as
the connecting thread throughout the whole
project. Here, each hut gives visitors a specific message on sustainability and, moreover,
provides ideas relating to the infinite possibilities inherent in ceramic tile.
The five buildings form an installation that
stands out because of its color and irregular
arrangement. With the huts placed in such
a way that some are propped up on others,
with their doors facing in different directions,
the group as a whole is dynamic and spectacular. Also, the different bright colors and the
location of the installation in Barcelona’s Port
Fòrum, surrounded by sea and palm trees,
catch the visitors’ attention. The roofs and ex-
WITH CERAMIC TILE
AS ITS CONNECTING
THREAD, WHAT MAKES
THE INSTALLATION
STAND OUT IS ITS
COLOR AND IRREGULAR
ARRANGEMENT
“Oasis Cerámico” was created as a temporary installation but its success has been such that the Port Fòrum authorities have decided to display it on a permanent basis.
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ternal walls of the huts are covered with a high
gloss ceramic material that creates a play of
light and makes the colors look stronger.
In addition to all of this visitors can interact
with the huts by walking inside them without
hindrance and looking at the creative installations that address issues relating to sustainability. Visitors therefore discover five colors – blue, grey, orange, red and green – that
are each related to specific ideas on sustainability and decoration.
The ceiling in the orange hut is covered with
lamps in the shape of umbrellas and one can
listen to the sound of the rain inside the hut.
This connects the visitor with nature and the
importance of water in our lives while at the
same time reminding us of the suitability of
ceramic as a material for exterior use. Going
into the green house one hears birds singing,
while a forest of lamps combined with ceramic tiles and mirrors fills the inside. The
result is that the visitor has the sensation of
being in a forest and becomes aware of the
possibilities for combining ceramic with other
decorative materials such as mirrors, glass
and fabrics.
With its walls and roof clad in brilliant white
ceramic tiles, the blue hut re-creates a UVA
sunbed session. The messages that emerge from this hut are about feeling good about
oneself and mixing shapes and colors with
ceramic. Sustainable mobility is the dominant
theme in the grey hut thanks to the bicycle
parks and the way it manages to simulate the
urban environment through sound. Leading
edge design linked to towns is the theme of
the grey house: shadows, reflections, textures and contrasts between shiny and matte
are what ceramic can contribute. Lastly, the
ceramic tiles printed with photographs of real
ants in the red hut remind us of the Earth’s
great natural diversity. The personalization
of ceramic tiles by printing texts, drawings,
logos or images onto them is already a reality
and is quite obvious in this house.
Above: the way the huts are arranged, with some propped up on others, makes the group more spectacular and
creates many more possibilities for interaction. Below: the message that “Ceramic Oasis” delivers is about ceramic
and sustainability.
Ceramic is the connecting thread that runs
through a “Ceramic Oasis” where sustainability applied to design has proved itself to
be the best option for protecting the environment. This project clearly demonstrates the
suitability of ceramic as a material that is not
just respectful of its surroundings but that,
when used in combination with other elements, also has the capacity to create many
different types of ambiances
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Interview
JAUME COLL CONESA
Director of the National Ceramic Museum
of Valencia
“
“
CERAMIC IS A MATERIAL THAT MEETS
BASIC HUMAN NEEDS
Jaime Coll Conesa (born Palma de Mallorca, 1958) has devoted almost all his professional life to ceramic. He was
appointed Director of the “González Martí” National Ceramic and Luxury Arts Museum of Valencia in 1998. He is also
president of the Ceramology Association and Secretary of the Art and Design Section of the Spanish Ceramic and
Glass Society. He has been heavily involved in research and has taken the culture of ceramic tiles beyond our borders,
commissioning exhibitions such as “Tile Design in Valencia”, which was staged in New York and Dallas and “Valencian
tile-making: at the heart of architecture” in Lisbon.
T
he first examples of ceramic tiles being
used in architecture go back to several
centuries B.C. Would it be fair to say that
the use of ceramic in architecture is as old
as humankind?
Ceramic has certainly been a part of the way
humans have expressed themselves since
very ancient times. Hunters on the banks
of the Danube in the middle of the Paleolithic era used mud to make figures that were
propitious to fertility and hunting such as a
ceramic female figure and animal figurines.
These ceramics pre-date architecture and
we should remember that ceramic materials
– even un-fired – were part of the earliest buildings in settlements.
The use of ceramic has never been restricted
to one geographical zone. What is it about
ceramic that makes it global?
It is a material that has met and still meets
basic human needs. During the Neolithic period it promoted true advances in nutrition and
the change to a manufacturing society. Terracotta enables you to toast or cook vegetable
foods that our stomachs would otherwise
be unable to digest. Pot making, which began some 11,000 years ago in several places
around the world simultaneously, was then
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An example of the Museum’s collection of ceramic pieces.
CERASPAÑA/22
Interview
used not for its magical and aesthetic merits
but its ability to “process” foods that led to
the agricultural revolution.
What kind of pieces are in the National ceramic Museum’s permanent collection?
All sorts: from four thousand year-old containers to the most strictly contemporary ceramics in terms of both plastic creativity and
the fact that they are technological items.
The basic content of the permanent exhibition however is ceramic that is of decorative
value and that comes mostly from the area
of Valencia.
How crucial was it to locate the Museum in
Valencia?
Its founder, Manuel González Martí, was
clear about that from the outset. The Region
of Valencia covers an area that has a wealth
of outstandingly valuable ceramic items dating back to the Neolithic period. The most
splendid were made during the Middle Ages
but the gilded mediaeval china was the first
Valencian ware to be distributed abroad, rea-
“THE PLASTIC EXPRESSIVENESS OF CERAMIC, ALLIED WITH
TECHNICAL MASTERY, CAN REACH HEIGHTS THAT ARE
UNATTAINABLE FOR OTHER MEDIUMS.”
ching Syria and Egypt across the Mediterranean. Since then a series of products have
achieved this same universality, such as Alcora ware and the tiles made by the factories
in the cities of Valencia during the Baroque
period. In 1916 the intellectuals were claiming
that the history of Valencian ceramics required that a Museum be founded but this was
only made possible by the donation in 1947 of
the major collection of ceramics that belonged to Manuel González Martí.
Room dedicated to 15th century Mudéjar ceramics..
specialist restoration laboratories that are
without doubt the finest in the country. Then
there are activities, with a minimum of five
exhibitions a year that review both historical
and current ceramics. We organize seminars,
book promotions, courses, workshops for
schoolchildren, lectures, etc. The interior of
the palace is an attraction for visitors and the
magnificent ballroom is a perfect reason to
put on a concert or a recital.
The Museum houses pieces from the 16th century, creations by Picasso and mediaeval objects, but which is the most significant piece
in the Museum in your view?
It is very difficult to answer that question by
talking about just one object. I will give myself license to mention three: the washbowl
with fawn, a 10th century Muslim piece that
represents the beginning of techniques that
blossomed later on; the fountain with borders
as it is the first example of architectural ceramic, and the Manises fountain with the picture of General Espartero pledging allegiance
to the Constitution in 1837 as it represents the
achievement of an egalitarian and democratic
political system that we have in a stronger
form today.
As well as the permanent exhibition the Museum has other facilities to help promote the
culture of ceramic. What are they?
Indeed, on the one hand there are the
premises, which house a library and
You are currently showing a temporary exhibition in the Museum of work by German
ceramic designer Gerd Knäpper. His are modern, cutting edge designs. Can ceramic be
considered a cutting edge material?
Ceramic has a plastic expressiveness that is
timeless and if this is allied with technical
mastery – although this is not necessarily indispensible for the piece to be artistically valid - it can reach heights that are unattainable
for other mediums.
The Museum focuses to a large extent on ceramic in the past, but what does the future
hold for it?
All the Museum is doing is relate the human
story of a material and it does this from changing perspectives in line with the criteria and
values that prevailed in society at the time. It
is not therefore an immutable institution. We
will try to relate what happens to ceramic in
the future and we will also try to foster public
appreciation of ceramic as it is a fundamental
part of the history of our land
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CERAMIC IN ITS PLACE
Spain’s ceramic tile industry is facing up to one of its challenges: to bring improvement and innovation to methods for
fixing ceramic tiles as a way of adding value to the product, prevent risks and make it easier to reposition and remove
tiles. ASCER, the Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers’ Association, is playing an important part in achieving these objectives as is the Institute for Ceramic Tile Technology (ITC). Both institutions are driving a joint project to study and analyze
the opportunities for and challenges to improving current methods for installing ceramic tiles.
Ceramic tiles can be fixed onto façades using many different systems: setting by means of chemical fixing, mechanical fixing, mixed systems etc.
177 subsidized housing units in Vitoria (Matos-Castillo Architects). Favetón, by Cerámicas Casao.
Always at the leading edge of innovation and
design, Spain’s ceramic tile industry is seeking
to create its own alternatives for installing the
material so as to keep abreast of the times and
satisfy the requirements of the market and of
the most demanding users. The versatility of
ceramic opens up a multitude of possibilities,
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not just aesthetic and technical but also, because there are different ways of installing
them, in terms of the end result - especially
bearing in mind that the material is suitable for
any surface, rough or smooth, and that there
are special pieces that require a different technique.
In each instance the process to be used will
be dependent upon several factors such as the
type and size of the ceramic tiles, whether they
are to be installed on a floor, wall or façade,
indoors or outdoors and the kind of structure
they are to clad. Each structure, in each
situation, will require a certain fixing technique
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or specific type of adhesive. Choosing the
correct product and the right fixing system will
enable the user to create a quality, durable
covering, and bring out the true value of the
ceramic.
One of the keys to the market today lies in
developing new systems and techniques that
simplify current installation methods. The popularity of D.I.Y., in its varying degrees of difficulty, is the object of research and analysis
that seek to find new ways of installing ceramic tiles.
DRY FIXING AND INSTALLATION USING
FIXINGS
One of the latest developments in this area
has been dry fixing and installation without
preparation. This new system means that the
tiles fit together without any need for mortar,
cement, adhesive or even grouting thanks to
templates ready fixed onto the tiles or some
form of tongue and groove support. A number
of manufacturers have adopted this solution as
a spearhead for the industry.
Ventilated façade construction
system using mechanical
fixings.
Image: TAU Cerámica
CLADDING AND CHEMICAL FIXINGS
In the hands of experienced specialists, traditional fixing systems are able to create absolutely perfect ceramic cladding for spaces
and surfaces. These systems include using
cement or lime mortar (the “capa gruesa” or
“thick layer” technique) to fix the tiles directly
onto a very hard surface (brick or concrete).
The layer of mortar will be thicker 3-5 cm. (1.2
to 2 inches) when fixing tiles to a floor than
to a wall 1-2 cm. (0.4 to 0.8 inches). In both
cases this thick layer of adhesive substance
avoids having to prepare the surface before
tiling as it enables the surface upon which
the tiles are to be set to be levelled. The tiles
used in these instances should preferably be
porous, not very large and designed for decorating interior spaces.
With flat, smooth surfaces it is better to use
the “capa fina” or “thin layer” installation technique, which is gaining in popularity. This
technique requires no cement or lime mortar,
Continues on page 20...
Dry fixing also means, in some cases, that
a hollow layer can be left between the floor
and the ground in which radiant heating can
be installed, plus other services such as electrical cabling. Tiles can easily be removed or
changed by using suction pads, which makes
it possible to carry out any kind of repair without having to break anything or undertake
major work.
THE POPULARITY OF D.I.Y.,
WHICH PEOPLE DO TO
VARYING DEGREES OF
DIFFICULTY, IS THE OBJECT
OF RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
THAT AIMS TO MAKE IT
EASIER FOR THE END USER
TO INSTALL CERAMIC TILES
Another dry fixing system is being used on
ventilated façades, where the tiles are set
just a few millimetres from the vertical wall be
means of mechanical fixings or anchors. This
pocket of air creates insulation and fosters
natural cooling of the façade in summer while
keeping it warm during the winter.
Façade of the Official Pavilion of the Principality of Asturias at the Asturias International Show (FIDMA), Ceramic
tiles: Venis (Porcelanosa Group).
19
CERASPAÑA/22
just a 5-10 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches)
thick layer of waterproof glue or adhesive. In
some cases the surface needs to be prepared, evening and levelling it out with a first
layer. This technique is fine for any kind of
ceramic tile and is the best to use for fixing
porcelain stoneware tiles which, as they
have a low rate of water absorption, should
not be fixed with cement mortar.
Another installation technique is bonding,
which consists of spreading the adhesive
onto the surface (single bonding) or onto the
surface and the back of the tile (double bonding) depending on how big the tiles are.
The grouting can also have expansion joints
built in to allow for a slight margin of distortion to the tiled surfaces in spaces where extreme temperatures or humidity can make the
material contract or expand.
Selecting the right fixing materials is just as important as choosing the right ceramic tile to install.
It is evident that the way materials have evolved has contributed to the development of a
multiplicity of new solutions in the field of
installation. The sole aim of this effort on the
part of the Spanish ceramic tile industry is to
provide users with options that mean ceramic
tile can satisfy all their requirements
THE PROCESS TO USE
IN EACH INSTANCE WILL
DEPEND UPON A NUMBER
OF FACTORS SUCH AS THE
TYPE AND SIZE OF THE TILES,
WHETHER THEY ARE TO
BE SET ON A FLOOR, WALL
OR FAÇADE, INDOORS OR
OUTDOORS, AND THE KIND
OF SURFACE THEY ARE
TO CLAD
THE IMPORTANCE OF JOINTS
All three forms of wet installation require
grouting, which will be of a different kind depending on the type of tile involved, the finish on the tiles and the specific features of
the space being covered. The most common
type of grout is cement based and different
components can be added to it to ensure, for
example, that it stays white or is damp and
mold resistant. Equally, current advances in
the field of installation have revolutionized
the range of grouting options. There are currently materials available such as synthetic
and epoxy resins that harden as a result of
a chemical reaction and that make the end
finish highly resistant to damp, abrasion,
chemical products and bacteria, making this
the ideal kind of grout to use for bathroom fittings, water facility installations and spaces
where there is high traffic.
20
Nowadays one can choose colored grout to achieve very attractive decorative effects.
SHOWROOM // LAST TRENDS
NATUCER - PANAL SERIES - manager@natucer.es · www.natucer.es
CERASPAÑA/22
Showroom
SUPERCERÁMICA
VOGUE SERIES-COLLECTION
export@superceramica.com
comercial@superceramica.com
www.superceramica.com
LAND PORCELÁNICO
CIVIC COLLECTION
land@landporcelanico.com
www.landporcelanico.com
22
Showroom CERASPAÑA/22
AZTECA
TRESOR R75 SERIES
comercial@azteca.es · www.azteca.es
EL BARCO
L’ANTIC COLONIAL
YAIZA 31,6X31,6 CM. SERIES (WALL TILE)
OMNIA 15X15 CM. SERIES (FLOOR TILE)
elbarco@elbarco.com · www.elbarco.com
TERRACOTTA SERIES - EARTH & FIRE AND MANUAL PROTEGIDO
COLLECTIONS
anticcolonial@anticcolonial.com · www.anticcolonial.com
23
CERASPAÑA/22
Showroom
UNICER
AZULEV
FUSTA SERIES - 27X50 COLLECTION
comercial@unicer.com · www.unicer.com
ESTILO SERIES
azulev@azulev.es · www.azulev.com
APAVISA PORCELÁNICO
FIBERGLASS COLLECTION
info@apavisa.com
www.apavisa.com
24
Showroom CERASPAÑA/22
GRES CATALÁN –GRUPO–
PORCELÁNICO SERIES - PUZZLE COLLECTION
marisa@grescatalan.com · www.grescatalan.com
ZIRCONIO
TONDO SERIES
zirconio@zirconio.es · www.zirconio.es
KERABEN
XIAN SERIES
keraben@keraben.com · www.keraben.com
25
CERASPAÑA/22
WRAP-AROUND CERAMIC
FOR AN OFFICE BUILDING
The world is making giant strides towards sustainability, reducing pollution and achieving greater energy efficiency. Definitely towards a renewable future. Spain’s
ceramic tile industry is at the leading edge and is contributing its grain of sand to this global change as a
result of the work its companies have done in research,
development and innovation, which is bringing new solutions to the green revolution party. One clear example
of these advances is the use of ceramic tile in a ‘bioclimatic’ office building in an urban environment – specifically in the city of Valencia. Thanks to its ceramic skin
the building makes optimum use of and regulates the
temperature and the light that come in from the outside.
26
CERASPAÑA/22
The seventh competition for the Ceramic Tile
in Architecture and Interior Design Awards,
run by Ascer and chaired by American architect and art critic Terence Riley was won by
the Madrid based practice of leading architect
César Ruiz-Larrea and his associates Antonio
Gómez and Eduardo Prieto for their use of ceramic in a ‘bioclimatic’ office block on Calle
Mariano Cuber in Valencia, which the jury singled out as an interesting piece of work.
This project is a good example of these architects’ philosophy and of their sensitivity when
applying the latest advances in bioclimatics,
sustainability and energy efficiency, for which
they did not hesitate to use ceramic. The building is a four storey office block covered by a
ventilated façade created with extruded tiles
and an over louver made from tiles designed
specially to give the building a distinctive as
well as functional aesthetic look.
The result is a bioclimatic sunshade that reaches down to Mariano Cuber Street and is
effectively a permeable louver like a venetian
blind with ceramic slats. It creates an air pocket that regulates how much light and heat
pass through into the building, while facing
the street. Protected by a ceramic louver, this
space creates an open vestibule between the
exterior and the interior façades that serves as
an entrance to the building. It also regulates
the temperature of the entire building while
providing privacy for the office workers, shielding them from the gaze of passers-by.
The ceramic tiles used to create and clad this
building are extruded tiles with a water absorption ratio of less than 1%. This makes
them extremely resistant to ageing caused
THE ENTRANCE TO THIS
BIOCLIMATIC BUILDING
HAS BEEN CREATED
BY CONSTRUCTING A
PERMEABLE LOUVER LIKE
A VENETIAN BLIND WITH
CERAMIC SLATS THAT
REGULATES THE AMOUNT
OF LIGHT AND HEAT THAT
COMES IN AND FACES
ONTO THE STREET
Continues on page 28...
THE CERAMIC TILES
USED TO CREATE AND
CLAD THIS BUILDING ARE
EXTRUDED TILES WITH
A WATER ABSORPTION
RATIO OF LESS THAN
1%, WHICH MAKES THEM
EXTREMELY RESISTANT
TO AGEING CAUSED BY
POLLUTION AND ENSURES
THAT THEY WILL NOT
CHANGE AS A RESULT OF
ATTACK BY PHYSICAL OR
CHEMICAL AGENTS
Making the best use of natural light and direct
sunlight was a major concern in the design
of this office building as was ventilating the
spaces in such a way that the temperatures
would remain mild throughout the year. To
this end and without undermining the feasibility of the plot as a site for construction, the
entire built volume was taken to the back of
the plot so that the office spaces would facie south. This also resolved the issue of the
adjoining walls with the neighboring building.
Using ceramic tiles on the building made it possible to combine ventilated façades with louvers on the same building.
27
CERASPAÑA/22
by pollution – a quality that is especially useful in a rapidly expanding urban environment
such as the old center of the city of Valencia. The tiles also come with a guarantee
that their physical and chemical properties
will not change for 25 years. Amongst other
properties that only ceramic can provide as a
solution, as well as an evocative and stateof-the-art finish, these tiles are highly resistant to frost, distortion and breakage and their
white color does not change over time. In
this respect the extruded tiles used on this
Ascer award-winning project comply with the
ISO 13.006 standard and have passed the ISO
10.545 tests.
The louver has been built with a steel frame,
which the tiles, especially designed for this
building, were fixed on to in the workshop.
THE LOUVER HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED WITH A STEEL
FRAME AND SLIGHTLY CURVED EXTRUDED CERAMIC
TILES THAT PREVENT DIRT BUILD UP AND HAVE BEEN
GIVEN A SMOOTH GLAZED FINISH IN DIFFERENT
COLORS, WHICH CREATES DIFFERENT LOOKS – WARM,
COLORED OR WHITE – ACCORDING TO THE TIME OF DAY
AND THE TIME OF YEAR
These are slightly curved extruded tiles that
prevent dirt build up and have been given a
smooth glazed finish in different colors, which
improves their performance in sunlight and
creates different looks – warm, colored or
The extruded ceramic tiles have been specially designed to prevent dirt sticking to them.
28
white – according to the time of day and the
time of year.
The bioclimatic sunscreen, in which ceramic plays a major part, provides the way for
CERASPAÑA/22
people to go from the outside – a run-down urban area that is in the process of being modernized – to an interior that is full of light, creating a perfectly comfortable setting for work
in the offices, insulating them from sound and
from outdoor temperature.
Choosing ceramic was one of the great successes of this project as it combines the uses
of a ventilated façade and a louver in an original way.
The building was conceived in 2004 by architects César Ruiz-Larrea and associates.
The practice has a division that specializes
in innovation and bioclimatics as well as a
test center where they assess the results
of their research and practical applications.
The tiles, which were produced jointly with
manufacturers Faveton, deliver above and
The ceramic louver creates a space that makes the offices more comfortable in terms of light and heat.
beyond all expectations, demonstrating that
ceramic is the perfect solution for any project as its multiple properties and advantages
over other materials place it at the vanguard
of architecture and interior design today and
the foreseeable future.
Since 1995 this prestigious firm has been
trying to develop what in its view is merely architecture with “energy prostheses” into true
bioclimatic solutions by coordinating all the
technical factors to create a final space that is
not just aesthetically pleasing but, above all,
habitable. In doing this they are not hesitant
about using ceramic in their projects as a tool
and solution for designing passive and active
bioclimatic strategy systems – albeit without
abandoning the architectural design factor.
These systems include solar chimneys and
galleries, underground ducting, daytime and
night time cooling mechanisms and the developing of exterior ventilation solutions
29
News and Events
ASCER ARRANGES SEMINAR
FOR SPECIFIERS IN KRASNODAR
(RUSSIA)
ASCER and the Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in Moscow held a seminar for
specifiers at the end of February. Staged as a
way of providing an insight into and enhancing
the image of Spain’s ceramic tile manufacturing industry, the seminar took place in the city
of Krasnodar in southern Russia. The seminar
looked a the latest trends in Spanish architecture and interior design and the seven companies taking part had the opportunity to show
their latest products to the audience, which included some 140 professionals from the fields
of architecture, interior design and the specialist press. The rest of the audience comprised
the city’s leading importers and distributors.
Delegates were given Tile of Spain promotional
material that included a DVD, information on
the industry and documentation on each of the
companies taking part. The event was part of
the 2009 Promotion Plan
BENEDETTA TAGLIABUE DELIVERS
LECTURE AT HARVARD ON
SPANISH CERAMIC TILES AND
ARCHITECTURE
Italian architect Benedetta Tagliabue has delivered a lecture at the prestigious Harvard Graduate School of Design in which she spoke
about the current status of architecture and
the ceramic tile industry in Spain. She also
referred to projects undertaken by her own
practice, EMBT Arquitectos, in which ceramic
tiles play a prominent role. One of these is the
Santa Caterina market in Barcelona, a project
that won her practice the architecture category
prize in the 2004 Ceramic Tile Awards. The
audience at Tagliabue’s lecture was made up
of teachers at the Harvard Graduate School of
Design, students and professionals from the
Boston area. The lecture was made possible thanks to ASCER’s sponsorship, which
was part of a series of activities designed to
strengthen the links between the association
and Harvard to promote better understanding
between the two institutions. It is hoped that
this will lead to closer collaboration in the future such as setting up a Ceramic Tile Studies
department at the prestigious American university. In fact, industry experts Eduardo de
Miguel and architect Jesús Aparicio, who head
the CTS departments at Madrid and Valencia
respectively, and Javier Mira, who is the head
of the architecture department at the Institute
for Ceramic Tile Technology, have already been
to Harvard to run training sessions with the
teaching team at the prestigious school to improve their understanding of ceramic as a material and its potential in architecture
Company News
TAU MAKES BID FOR USING
CERAMIC MATERIALS IN URBAN
APPLICATIONS AND WINS ALFA
DE ORO
Civis’Agora is Tau’s integrated design for public spaces and at the last CEVISAMA Show
visitors were able to check out its features on
a 2,153 square feet (200 m2) stand that replicated a typical urban landscape. Comprising a
pavement, horizontal and vertical signage and
urban furniture, the space was made using
materials from the Urban collection for exte-
30
rior spaces and the Intem collection for interior
spaces. These were complemented by the
Haptic collection of safe, comfortable paving
specifically designed to accommodate the
special signage used in bicycle lanes and pedestrian crossings, for example. Civis’Agora
is a line of products that have been developed
to fulfil biomechanical criteria that enable full
accessibility to all types of pedestrian, including those with handicaps. This new product
developed by TAU won the company its eighth
Alfa de Oro, making TAU the brand with the
greatest number of distinctions awarded by
the Spanish Ceramic and Glass Society
BIONICTILE BY CERACASA:
THE CERAMIC TILE THAT CLEANS
THE AIR
Ceracasa launched an innovative product
at Cevisama 2009: Bionictile, a tile that can
break down the nitrogen oxide molecules
emitted by cars and heavy industry and that
are the cause of a number of environmental
and health problems. This new application for
ceramic won Ceracasa the recognition of the
Spanish Ceramic and Glass Society, which
awarded the company an Alfa de Oro for creating the most innovative product. Bionictile
retains its properties indefinitely and is self
cleaned by rain, fog or high levels of humidity. Every square meter (11 square feet) covered in this product can break down around 31
milligrams of nitrogen oxide per hour, making
Bionictile an ally of sustainable architecture
projects
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