New York, N.Y.—Confindustria Ceramica and the Italian Trade Agency are officially calling for entries for the 2018 Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition. The annual awards program, now celebrating its 25th year, recognizes the work of top North American architects and designers who create imaginative spaces that take advantage of the excellent technical and aesthetic qualities of Italian ceramic and porcelain tile.
Each year, a jury of design experts selects three winning projects as well as honorable mentions in the residential, institutional and commercial sectors. In addition to built projects, Ceramics of Italy is also looking for imaginative concepts from students. 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.
To qualify for entry, built projects in the residential, institutional and commercial categories must be designed by North America-based architects and designers, built or renovated between January 2013 and January 2017, and feature a significant amount of Italian ceramic/porcelain tile. To be eligible to submit to the student category, entrants must be enrolled at an accredited university in North America. Individual or group submissions are accepted through renderings, floor plans and sketches. There is no entry fee and multiple submissions are accepted. The deadline for entries is Feb. 15.
Winners will be notified in March and officially announced at the Ceramics of Italy International Press Conference at Coverings in Atlanta, May 8-11. The prize package for winners of the built project categories includes $3,000, accommodations and travel to Coverings to present the project, a dedicated advertisement in a leading design publication as well as a five-day CEU-accredited trip to Bologna, Italy to attend Cersaie with a delegation of top architects, designers and journalists from North America. In addition to special appointments on the show floor, the delegation will also enjoy the world-renowned cuisine of Bologna, cultural tours in the region and a chance to see tile production firsthand. An additional $1,000 will be awarded to the contractor/distributor team involved in each winning project. The winning student entry will receive a trip to Atlanta to present the project at Coverings in front of an audience of journalists, manufacturers and tile industry professionals.
For more information, visit tilecompetition.com.