The longest-running awards program of its kind, the Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition—sponsored by Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) and the Italian Trade Commission—once again attracted a quality pool of entries from architects and designers across the North American region. Submissions to the three categories—Residential, Commercial and Institutional—were reviewed by an international jury of design professionals. Projects were selected from across the North American continent.
Competition was intense, but the jury selected one winning firm and two honourable mentions in each category. Winners will receive $4,000 as well as a trip to Bologna, Italy to attend Cersaie, the world’s largest exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings taking place September 22-26, 2014 as part of a VIP design/media delegation.
Each winning project was recognized for its outstanding use of Italian ceramic tile, quality of installation, and overall design excellence. Sustainable attributes are also considered along with the impact that the tile makes on the overall space and installation. Contractors and distributor partners in each project are also celebrated.
In the Institutional category, MGA Partners’ Morgan Hall at Temple University in Philadelphia took the top award, while HDR Architecture’s Mother Baby Center at Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Children’s Hospitals & Clinics in Minneapolis and Gow Hastings Architects’ Paul H. Cocker Architecture Gallery at Ryerson University in Toronto each won an Honourable Mention.
The winner of the Commercial category was Corgan Associates’ Plaza of the Americas in Dallas; two Honourable Mentions distinguished Mojo Stumer Associates’ Luxottica Headquarters in Port Washington, New York and Leo A Daly’s Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
In the Residential category, D.I Group + Adeet Madan’s project entitled 355 Mansfield in Los Angeles took the top prize, followed by Narofsky Architecture’s Chabra Residence in Port Washington, New York and Mario Bolivar Study of Architecture and Design’s Isla de Fuego in Cancun, Mexico – each of which earned an Honourable Mention.
For more information on the winners and the Ceramics of Italy 2014 Tile Competition, please visit www.tilecompetition.com/archive.php?y=2014.