The Tile of Spain awards raise awareness of the creative use of Spanish tiles in architectural and interior design projects both in Spain and abroad. Now in its 21st year, the competition is organised by ASCER, the Spanish ceramic tile manufacturers’ association.
The annual awards are a well-established event with a prestigious reputation among professionals from the world of architecture.
WINNERS
First prize in the Architecture category, with a cash award of 15,000 Euros, went to Ripoll-Tizón Estudio de Arquitectura whose social housing in Ibiza features traditional-style glazed stoneware tiles with a coastal vibe.
Social housing in Ibiza by Ripoll-Tizón. Photo: José Hevia
The jury praised the high architectural standards of this project, combining the high performance of ceramic with a decorative purpose. In the vast inner corridors of the complex, tiles cleverly mark out filled and empty spaces, giving the architecture a strong identity.
Barcelona warehouse conversion by Allaround Lab. Photo: José Hevia
The winner of the Interior Design category, also attracting a cash prize of 15,000 Euros, was Allaround Lab for their warehouse conversion. Eschewing any excess of ornament, designers Noelia de la Red and Jordi Ribas chose ceramic tiles for the flooring and to clad the furniture, lending the whole project visual coherence, while also guaranteeing durability. The judges applauded the project’s capacity to minimize the use of materials and aesthetic resources.
FINAL DEGREE PROJECT WINNER
The award for the Final Degree Project, a category for architecture students with a prize of 5,000 Euros, was given to Marta Millanes Sánchez from Toledo School of Architecture for her project ‘Rampant architecture. The town and the home’. The jury praised the use of ceramic materials as a linking thread to define different pathways throughout the home.
Final Degree project winner
In addition to the first prizes, the judges awarded special mentions in each category.
SPECIAL MENTIONS – ARCHITECTURE
For innovation in architecture, ‘A pergola opening onto a kitchen garden’ by Bona fide taller (Alejandro Martínez del Rio) was praised for its capacity to regenerate a fringe area of an urban environment, in a small town in inland Castellón. A single tile model is used for the project, both as paving and for the top shelter of the pergola, which integrates an existing wash house and a retaining wall. Also honoured was the Valencia Agora pavilion by Arqueha+Miguel Arraiz for its use of ceramic materials as a technological solution. The tiles created a civic space conceived to symbolise Valencia’s role as a design capital, using a system that could be mounted and dismounted.
A pergola by Bona fide taller and a pavilion by Arqueha+Miguel Arraiz. Photo: Oleh Kardash Horlay
SPECIAL MENTION – INTERIOR DESIGN
‘A home/gallery in Granada’s Gran Via’ by Annona Arquitectura (Silvia Cabrera Jiménez & Felipe Hita Suárez and Ana Frías collaboration) also received a special mention. The jury applauded the use of ceramic materials on the floors, walls, ceiling and furniture, taking advantage of colour to mark out new volumes created as a result of the project while also integrating the existing mosaic.
A Granada home. Photo: Javier Callejas
SPECIAL MENTIONS – FINAL DEGREE PROJECT
Special mentions were also awarded in the Final Degree Category. ‘Courtyards, lounges and stairs’ by Alicia de Luis Sánchez from Madrid School of Architecture was commended for the typological and linguistic reflections that this project involved, focused on a plot of particular urban complexity. Also honoured was ‘The denser the drawing, the finer the thread’ by Ana Link López from CEU San Pablo University in Madrid. The jury highlighted the value that was placed on the circularity of the building systems and on traditional materials, disciplines and social aspects.
THE JUDGES
Chaired by architect Eric Parry (Eric Parry Architects), the jury met at ASCER’s headquarters on November 23 to make its deliberations and also included 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 SPONSORS
The Tile of Spain Awards are sponsored by Endesa, the Valencia Port Authority and PwC España and are supported by the Conselleria de Hacienda of the Valencian Government.
THE AWARDS AND FUTURE AWARDS
The awards ceremony will be held on 28 February 2022 at Cevisama, the international trade fair for ceramic tiles, surface coatings and bathroom and kitchen design held in Valencia. The organisation will be calling for entries to the 2023 edition in September and are encouraging submissions from all over the world. For full details, visit tileofspainawards.com
TILE OF SPAIN
Tile of Spain is the voice of the Spanish tile industry, representing more than 125 tile manufacturers.
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