Ceramic Tiles of Italy has big plans for Coverings 2005. Always on the cutting-edge of design and technology, the Italians have commissioned award-winning Bernard Tschumi Architects to use the latest Italian ceramic tiles to create a stunning new institutional exhibit at the center of the Italian Pavilion.
The Italian Pavilion will feature over 100 of Italy’s finest manufactures of ceramic tile. The centerpiece will be the new exhibit designed by Bernard Tschumi Architects, a prominent architectural firm and last year’s commercial winner of the Ceramic Tile of Italy Design Competition. Over its nineteen-year history, Bernard Tschumi Architects has established itself as a leading architectural firm, with a repertoire of groundbreaking projects that include: the Parc de la Villette in Paris, the Rouen Concert Hall, the Center for Contemporary Arts at le Fresnoy in France, and the School of Architecture in Miami, Florida. The firm is currently building the New Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece, the Athletic Center at the University of Cincinnati, as well as a concert hall and a museum in France.
As in past years, Ceramic Tiles of Italy’s institutional exhibit will be ideally located in the heart of the Italian Pavilion and will be the nucleus for information, inspiration and innovation. One section will serve as a resource center – allowing visitors to pick up the industry’s latest promotional materials including a DVD celebrating Coverings and a new book on sustainable design. As always, it will be a hub of activity as Italian manufacturers host their clients for traditional Italian refreshments including pastas prepared by an Italian chef. According to Tschumi, “The project begins with the idea that tile can be used in an innovative way - as a light and flexible material. The exhibit, made of 12 translucent orange cylinders and 56 ceramic tile curtains, will make visitors stop and re-think the possible uses of tile.” The booth will be aglow in orange and red tones. The exquisite tile curtains will feature high-tech mesh from Mapei and new collections from Vogue, Vitrum, Viva, Marca Corona, Ascot, Marazzi, Dado, Impronta Italgraniti, Lea and Ricchetti. The floor will be made up of tiles from Rondine, Vogue, Coem and Bardelli, put together with Mapei grouts. The eye-catching design is only one of the booth’s many outstanding features – as Ceramic Tiles of Italy can easily transport the orange cylinders for use at other tradeshows and conventions.
Tschumi’s innovative design will also be seen at the satellite café/newsstand where attendees can stop for an Italian coffee and catch up on the latest news from Italy. New signage across the pavilion will reflect the colors and shapes of the exhibit.
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Bernard Tschumi
The stand Ceramic Tiles of Italy
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