Award Winners of Global Design Competition Demonstrate Beauty and Versatility of Tile
The beauty, durability, sustainability and versatility of ceramic tile are second to none, making it an exceptional material for architects and designers to work with. If anyone needs further proof, look no further than to the winning entries of a prestigious international awards program from Tile of Spain.
As the international brand representing more than 100 ceramic tile manufacturers belonging to the Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer’s Association (ASCER), Tile of Spain recently announced the winners of the 21st annual Tile of Spain Awards of Architecture and Interior Design. The panel of judges, led by renowned architect Eric Parry, founder and director of Eric Parry Architects, came together at ASCER’s headquarters this past November to evaluate the projects submitted into this year’s awards and select a winner in each category.
Following are the entries that captured the judges’ imaginations and took home great prizes in their respective categories:
Architecture
The proposal for new social housing in Ibiza was raised by Ripoll-Tizón architecture studio with the intention of constructing a building whose identity is more clearly linked to the climate and way of life on the island. Located in Talamanca, a marine suburb, the building was artfully crafted with materials that adapt to the way of land and sea.
The jury praised the high architectural standards of this project, where traditional looking glazed stoneware tiles were used to guarantee aesthetic appeal and high durability. The tiles also have a decorative function, marking out filled and empty spaces so that the architecture is organized around the empty inner space that plays such an important role in the makeup of the project.
Special Mentions: “A Pergola Opening onto a Kitchen Garden” by Bona Fide Taller (Alejandro Martínez del Río), and “The Valencia Agora Pavilion” by Arqueha+Miguel Arraiz
Interior Design
Winner: “Avila. Planning an Empty Space” by ALL AROUND LAB (Noelia de la Red, Jordi Ribas)
Designed by All Around Lab, Avila is a project that transformed what was originally an open-plan warehouse, located in the Poble Nou neighborhood of Barcelona, into a 120 square-meter multifunctional and habitable space. The strategy of the design proposal aimed to utilize "the minimum means to inhabit a space," while considering the inner layers, not just its surface.
Here, the jury celebrated the project’s capacity to minimize the use of materials and aesthetic resources. Ceramic tiles were chosen for the flooring and to clad the furniture, lending the whole project
visual coherence, while also guaranteeing durability
through the use of ceramic slats.
Special Mention: “A Home/Gallery in Granada’s Gran Vía” by Annona Arquitectura (Silvia Cabrera Jiménez & Felipe Hita Suárez)
Final Degree Project
Winner: “Rampant Architecture. The Town and the Home” by Marta Millanes Sánchez from (Toledo School of Architecture)
“Rampant Architecture. The Town and the Home” is a detailed blueprint, to connect different sections of a home with the use of a single material. The design plan focuses on incorporating ceramic tile as the floor covering, to define a pathway between each room, floor and section of a residential dwelling.
The jury found the use of ceramic materials as a linking thread to define different pathways throughout the home.
Special Mentions: “Courtyards, Lounges and Stairs” by Alicia de Luis Sánchez (Madrid School of Architecture) and “The Denser the Drawing, the Finer the Thread” by Ana Link López (CEU San Pablo University in Madrid)
About the Awards
The panel of judges was chaired by architect Eric Parry (Eric Parry Architects), alongside Biba Dow (Dow Jones Architects), Luis Rojo (Rojo/Fernández-Shaw); José Juan Barba (METALOCUS), Agnès Blanch (estudio vilablanch) and Ángel Pitarch (Castellón Architects' Association).
The objective of the Tile of Spain Awards is to promote the use of Spanish ceramic tiles in architecture and interior design projects (both in Spain and abroad). The program boasts a consolidated trajectory and is held in high esteem by architecture professionals.
The Tile of Spain Awards offers cash prizes totaling over €35,000 ($37,450) that are divided among three areas. The two main categories – Architecture and Interior Design – each have a cash prize of over €15,000 ($16,050). Special mentions may also be made in both categories, based on the judges’ criteria. The third category, the Final Degree Project, targets students of architecture and has a cash prize of over €5,000 ($5,350). In all three categories, entries are welcome from both Spanish and international participants.
The award ceremony will be held in Valencia during CEVISAMA 2023. Full details of this and previous editions of the awards are available at www.tileofspainawards.com.