The Italian Trade Commission recently named Gensler as the Commercial Grand Prize Winner in its annual Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition—the longest-running award program of its kind. Now in its 23rd year, the competition recognizes commendable use of Italian tile in North American architecture and design.
Gensler received the honor for its design of the Kaye Scholer Headquarters, a law firm in New York. The goal for Kaye Scholer’s new headquarters was to reimagine the century-old law firm in a new location. Gensler created sleek interiors and spacious ceilings that accentuate the firm’s diversity of legal services and global reach. Additionally, the new space creates a welcoming environment for clients and friends of the firm and invests in the firm’s employees through modern amenities including a terrace, social and collaborative spaces, state-of-the-art technology, and exceptional food service.
The Atlas Concorde Marvel collection in Calacatta Extra was used extensively throughout the project in the elevator lobbies, reception, conference center, and cafeteria. The cost-effectiveness of the tile allowed the design team to create large, continuous areas of tile flooring that emphasized the spacious public areas while resembling the luxurious characteristics of calacatta marble.
Sponsored by Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) and the Italian Trade Commission, the competition attracted high-quality submissions in each of the three categories: residential, commercial, and institutional. An international jury of design industry experts reviewed and evaluated the projects, ultimately selecting three winners and three honorable mentions among the steep competition.
The winning firms received a prize of $4,000 as well as a CEU-accredited trip to Bologna, Italy to attend Cersaie (September 26-30, 2016) as part of a VIP delegation. Contractors and distributors involved in each project were also awarded a cash prize for their valued contribution.
