May 8, 2019

Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) and the Italian Trade Agency are proud to announce the winners of the 2019 Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition. An international jury of design experts selected eight outstanding projects that demonstrate creative use of Italian ceramic and porcelain tile by North America–based architecture and design firms and students. With a record number of high-quality submissions in three built categories – residential, commercial and institutional – and one student category, the jury faced the difficult task of choosing the top designs. Among steep competition, the jury ultimately selected five winners and three honorable mentions.

As the longest-running awards program of its kind, the Tile Competition has attracted submissions from some of the world’s most prestigious design firms over 26 years, including Gensler, Studio Libeskind and Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Joining these winners, the 2019 recipients were announced at Coverings in April. The winners accepted their awards and delivered brief presentations on the design and use of Italian tile in their projects. The prize package for built project winners included $3,000 cash and an expenses-paid, CEU-accredited trip to Bologna, Italy, to attend Cersaie – the ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings exhibition – with a VIP delegation of North American specifiers and journalists. Contractor and distributor teams involved with each winning project will also be awarded a cash prize for their valued contribution.

The 2019 Residential winners are:

Firm: SWA Architecture
Project: 132-136 West Houston St.
Location: New York, NY
Tile Manufacturer: Florim
Distributor: Porcelain Source
Contractor: Ideal Tile of Brooklyn

SWA Architecture completed this eight–story, mixed-use residential building with six apartments in the heart of Soho. Furnished nearly floor to ceiling in Florim, this project demonstrates the true versatility of Italian tile. The building’s façade matches the neighborhood’s eclectic style, with ventilated porcelain slabs from Florim’s Matrice and B&W collections. Inside the lobby, Florim’s I Classici marble-look tiles cover the walkways. This collection is also featured on the floors and walls in the apartment bathrooms and showers. Florim’s Wooden Tile gives the impression of natural hardwood flooring, carried throughout the kitchens, bedrooms, halls and living spaces. Finally, the terraces are outfitted with Florim’s Industrial porcelain pavers for a durable outdoor flooring solution.

Firm: DI Group INC.
Project: Valley Vista
Location: Encino, Calif.
Tiles: Supergres; Refin
Distributor: DI Group, INC.

DI Group INC. was challenged with designing a residence that merged luxury and practicality in the affluent San Fernando Valley region. Dubbed Valley Vista, the home is illuminated by natural light, calling attention to the large open spaces covered in Italian tile. The bathrooms are clad almost entirely in tiles from Supergres’ Art collection and Ceramiche Refin’s Graffiti, Design Industry, Arte Pura and Plant collections, resulting in a consistent design aesthetic throughout the entire house. The kitchen, dining room, foyer and living room maintain this industrial-chic aesthetic with Ceramiche Refin’s Wide floor tiles. Supergres’s Travel and Stoneworks collections complete the design, serving as ventilated façades on the home’s exterior.

Honorable Mention
Firm: Ajay Manthripragada
Project: Page House
Location: Berkeley, Calif.
Tile Manufacturer: Nuovocorso
Distributor: Import Tile
Contractor: Heritage Marble and Tile

Ajay Manthripragada designed this modern cube-shaped residence in a mixed-use, industrial neighborhood in Berkeley, California. While the Page House is relatively small in footprint, measuring just 150 square meters, it is designed with maximum efficiency, taking full advantage of the outdoors as an extension of the living area. The exterior façade is a striking achievement, with seven stacked tiles from Nuovocorso’s Inimitabile collection covering three inhabitable levels: the ground floor, upper level and rooftop deck. The exterior tiles also absorb and retain heat energy for the house. The floors and walls in the interior bathroom are clad in Nuovocorso’s Inimitabile tiles in a smaller format, beautifully tying the design together with the home’s exterior.