Hospitality Design - November/December 2010 - 45

trends: tile

perspectives
By Alia Akkam

paving the way
Durable, functional, and easy-to-clean, tile is a natural match for high-trafﬁc hospitality areas. And with fears of bedbugs and other fabricbound intruders on the rise, tile has been making a name for itself beyond its regular applications. With Ceramic Tiles of Italy and Tile of Spain at the forefront, vibrant new collections showcase its newfound crossover appeal. Take Bios, for example. Casalgrande Padana’s collection of anti-bacterial tile eliminates 99.9 percent of the four main bacterial strains. “This treatment is currently the only one available in the market with such a high yield; in addition to not needing any light to activate, it is the only one to have the bacterial properties right in the body and not just on the surface, which makes it resistant to wear,” explains Stefano Carretti,

Clockwise from top: A wall is decked out in Atlas Concorde’s Plenitude pattern; Bios, an anti-bacterial tile from Casalgrande Padana; Saloni Cerámica’s tile products in a guestroom setting; and a spiraling structure within a corridor made using mosaic tile from Cerámicas Aparici.
also sees. Another is “modern and glamorous design, where the tiles have Both glittering, styles are unconventional” features.

referenced in the company’s exclusive hospitality collections, Admiration, Style, and Plenitude. “People respond well to the idea of introducing different elements that might not be native to a particular material, but add beauty to the entire concept,” says Pedro Miralles, commercial director of Apavisa Porcelánico. For instance, Apavisa’s Nanoeclectic line melds textile metallic design with materials that resemble stone and cement; and its Neocountry series, inspired by the stone of old country houses, features a 24inch rectiﬁed hexagon size, an industry ﬁrst. Efﬁciency is also important to Apavisa: the Miralles line highlights the company’s new fourmillimeter tile, speciﬁcally developed for hotels, which can be applied directly on top of any existing product. Lola Peris, marketing director for Land Porcelanico and Cerámicas Aparici, says Aparici’s three new lines—Icaro, Bursa, and G-Stone—embrace digital technology to resemble natural marble and stone. The exploration of new tile structures is one way of “breaking with old thoughts that ceramic is square and plain. We propose that tiles no longer have to be two-dimensional. Why not explore the third dimension and show tiles that defy the eye and

director

marketing

for

the

Italy-based

can be used in interesting façades? For example, at Cersaie in Bologna, we covered an entire wall in a basketweave of porcelain slim tile.” Tomas Sola, U.S. and Canada area manager for Saloni Cerámica, agrees that tiles are evolving, noting how much smaller they once were, with fewer possible ﬁnishes. “The ceramics industry is developing new methods of research, development, and investment, which is key to producing some of the more complex, energetic, and design-advanced products. Ceramics that trap solar energy are a reality today that will open new doors, such as those opened when ceramics were ﬁrst used in street furniture, cities, or sidewalks, and contributed new aesthetic values for urban spaces.”

porcelain stoneware company. This health-conscious aspect of tile also accentuates its growing presence in intimate guestroom settings. Another reason, says Enrico Guazzi, area manager of Lea Ceramiche, part of the Panariagroup, is the increasing affordability of ﬂoor heating systems, making cool porcelain tiles and tiles that resemble materials found in nature a more common sight. “With the technology we have these days, we are able to make perfect copies of natural stones and wood that are suitable for bedroom installations,” he explains. Naturally designed tile is a trend Fabrizio Storchi, marketing manager of Atlas Concorde,

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