The Ceramic Tile of Italy Pavilion began with the idea that ceramic tiles need not be used as a hard and rigid material, but rather could also offer a variety of interpretations. The pavilion was made out of 12 translucent orange cylinders housing the exhibit's various functions: conference room, information booth, food stand, and advertising column, for example. more

Tiles were used to create both a hard horizontal surface—the floor plane on which one walks—and supple vertical surfaces that hang like curtains from the translucent cylinders. The hanging tiles were held together by the same meshes used to help with cement and grout, but here, only the mesh and the tiles remained, allowing light to pass through the interstices between tiles. Altogether, with its bright red and orange tones, the pavilion acted as a dynamic landmark at the center of the trade show. back

Credits

SCHEDULE
Completion 2005
CLIENT
Assopiastrelle, the Italian Association of Ceramic Tile Manufacturers, the Italian Trade Commission
TEAM
Lead Designer: Bernard Tschumi. Key Personnel: Phu Hoang, Matthew Hufft, Dominic Leong

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Program: Performance