Hexagonal wall tiles aren’t new to the surfacing vernacular, but the form factor is making a strong showing at the 2014 Cersaie international exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings in Bologna, Italy. And this year's crop proffers a few additional features, such as 3D and textured facings and patterned overlays. We share three of our favorite hex sightings so far.
Inspired by natural elements, Ornamenta’s Core Collection of porcelain and glass tiles features geometric patterns atop a neutral backdrop. For use on the floors and walls, the tiles are offered in a 19.9"-wide unit and in 7.08"-tall by 8.66"-wide sheets, all in four colorways—thorium, iodine, nitrogen, and potassium—and eight patterns. Shown above, clockwise: honeycomb, stripes, and run-up.
Italian designer duo Lavinia Modesti and Javier Deferrari created XGone for Mirage as a multi-colored, modular patchwork of hexagonal elements in three sizes. The tiles’ geometries can be overlaid and inset—with a chunk cut out of one tile to insert another—and assembled on the floor and wall in patterns spanning organized to seemingly random. A nine-color earth-toned palette, which can also include textured stripes and dots, suits the series for use in both commercial and residential spaces.
From Tagina’s new atelier, which focuses on developing project-specific products that can be marketed widely, comes a custom hexagonal variation of the company’s Ceramic Pixel for use in interior feature walls and as exterior cladding. The pressed tiles were originally conceived as a ventilated cladding for the 20,559-square-foot Confraternity of Mercy church in Terranova Bracciolini, Italy. In application, each ceramic tile’s 3D surface can be oriented differently to allow the honeycombed installation to appear slightly askew.
We’re at Cersaie 2014 all week, so follow along @architectmag for the latest in wall, floor, and surface finishes.
Read our Postcard from Day One on eye-catching designer–manufacturer collaborations.
