Ceramics of Italy Announces 2013 Tile Competition Winners

This year, the Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition, an annual awards program sponsored by Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) and the Italian Trade Commission, attracted the most competitive pool of projects in the contest’s history. The submissions from prominent North American architects and designers in the Residential, Institutional, and Commercial categories were impressive both in their architectonic qualities and creative use of Italian ceramic tile. On the occasion of the competition’s 20^th anniversary as well as the Anno della Cultura Italiana (“Year of Italian Culture”), the international jury decided to recognize more projects this year, honoring them with a special anniversary award. The Commercial category showed particular strength in the innovative and extensive use of tile, prompting the jury to select a grand prize winner as well as special mentions in Retail, Hospitality and Corporate categories. The winning projects speak to the A&D community’s commitment to using a material that is technically advanced, aesthetically pleasing, and manufactured with a focus on sustainability.

The recipients of this prestigious prize were officially announced on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 during the Ceramics of Italy International Press Conference at Coverings, held for the first time at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Each of the winning architects and designers were awarded $4,000 and a five-day trip to Bologna, Italy to attend Cersaie 2013—the premier international exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings—in the fall. Ceramics of Italy also awarded $1,000 to be shared by the contractors and distributors involved in each winning project, who are key in bringing great design to fruition.