Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) and the Italian Trade Commission have announced the official call for entries for the Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition.

For the past 22 years, the competition has served as a unique platform to showcase the work of North American architects and designers who utilize the high technical and aesthetic qualities of Italian tile. Each year an international jury of design professionals selects three winning projects as well as honorable mentions in the residential, institutional, and commercial/hospitality sectors. Projects displaying a high level of functionality, creativity, sustainability and aesthetic appeal will be rewarded with valued prizes as well as exposure in the industry. 

To qualify for the competition, projects must be designed by North American based architects and designers, completed in the past five years (January 2011 to January 2016), and feature a significant portion of Italian ceramic or porcelain tile. Domestic and international projects, renovations and new buildings and all scales and styles will be equally considered in three categories (residential, commercial and institutional).

The jury’s official criteria includes: overall design of the project; aesthetic and technical quality of tile installation; degree to which the tile enhances the setting; and the project’s sustainable attributes. Last year’s winners included: DKOR Interiors’ cohesive home design employing the adaptation of a single tile collection in a variety of different living spaces; RSP Architects’ community-fostering design for Target’s Minnesota campus featuring a 1,000-foot tiled interior circulation path and Shinberg Levinas Architects’ culinary school design demonstrating the use of tile for the interiors and exterior façade. 

Winners will be notified in March at Coverings, taking place in Chicago April 18 through 21. Travel and accommodations to attend the show to receive the award are only one piece of the prize. Additionally, each category winner will receive a cash prize of $4,000 plus a five-day trip to Bologna, Italy, next fall to attend Cersaie.

For more information, visit tilecompetition.com.