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Companies,News & Markets

Tile International 3/2016 12

IRIS CERAMICA GROUP LAUNCHES SAPIENSTONE

SmartSlab Table, a prototype futuristic table with ceramic surfaces and digital controls, made by Kram/Weisshaar in collaboration with Iris Ceramica Group, earned wide acclaim at the 2016 Fuor-iSalone. In the wake of this success, the Group’s newly launched brand Sapien-Stone, dedicated to kitchen worktops in porcelain stoneware, has made its offi-cial début on the market.Iris presented the brand at Cersaie 2016 with the multimedia installation Dress your kitchen, which saw the inaugura-tion of a new partnership with the Span-ish company TBP Top Porzelanik Barcelo-na®, the manufacturer of TPB tech®, an innovative worktop that uses Sapien-Stone porcelain stoneware to offer the direct possibility of induction cooking. The product features latest-generation inductors and touch-controls integrated into the worktop, thus eliminating the use of glass plates and transforming the work surface into a cooking area.This is how the Italian holding compa-ny’s new brand intends to harness its technical know-how in the ceramic are-na, and deploy it in residential and commercial kitchen applications. Designed to meet the most stringent re-quirements in terms of strength, hygiene and durability, SapienStone kitchen worktops deliver a winning combination

of high performance and good looks. Available in Basalt Black, Basalt Cream, Urban Anthracite, Urban Argento, Uni Ice, Malm Black, Malm Grey, Bianco Lasa, Calacatta Statuario and Calacat-ta, the material reinterprets premium marble, concrete and natural stone, in large-format porcelain panels (320x150 cm) with a thickness of 12 mm (stand-ard) or 20 mm on certain variants. Made with through-body colours and vein pat-terns, the worktops offer a realistic effect and undiminished appearance over time. The line is also suitable for outdoor use because of its high resistance to sunlight and weathering.

SCHLÜTER-SYSTEMS NOVELTIES AT BAU 2017

The international construction industry meets every two years at the BAU trade fair in Munich. This year’s stand display of Schlüter-Systems KG, (No. 418 in Hall A4), focuses on a range of new prod-ucts and system solutions for the instal-lation of ceramic tiles and natural stone.A new stylish colour has been added to the colour palette of the elegant finish-ing profiles Schlüter®-QUADEC, -RONDEC and –JOLLY. For the occasion (January 16-21), Schlüter-Systems presents for the first time the profile series in the attrac-tive satin black finish. Together with the numerous TRENDLINE finishes and pro-files in satin brilliant white, they are the

perfect accessories for the novelty tiles that were recently introduced at the Cersaie show in Bologna. The ceramic thermal comfort floor Schlüter®-BEKOTEC-THERM is also part of the core display. The thin-layered, ener-gy-efficient floor heating system under-went thorough scrutiny by consumers as part of an independent test cam-paign, earning high scores from devel-opers and renovators alike. Moreover, the new LED strips for the Illuminated Profile Technology Schlüter®-LIPROTEC offer greater flexibility in design. Thanks to the combination of coloured and white LEDs, they offer an uncommonly versatile light experience with all shades of white and RGB col-ours, which can be conveniently con-trolled with the free Schlüter®-LED Color Control App via smartphone or tablet. Customers of Schlüter-Systems can also enjoy more design choices for the drain-age channels Schlüter®-KERDI-LINE for floor-level showers. Introduced even new finish options for the grates and frames of the intelligent drainage systems that are an ideal match for high-quality bathroom fittings. Last but not least, the "Tile substrates" competency area plays an important role: trade fair visitors can look forward to innovative products that offer installers of Schlüter®-KERDI-BOARD even more options for the individual and practical design of spaces with ce-ramic tile and natural stone coverings.

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OIKOS LXO COLLECTION BY LIBESKIND ON TRACK FOR COMPASSO D’ORO AWARD

Oikos’s new LxO collection, designed by Daniel Libeskind, was among the out-standing products selected for inclusion in the ADI Design Index 2016, a cata-logue of Italy’s best design products of the year. As a result of its listing in the publication, the Romagna-based com-pany is now automatically in contention for a prestigious Compasso d’Oro award. The LxO line by Oikos remains faithful to the philosophy of the brand, which has always sought to forge part-nerships with major names in Italian and international architecture, with a view to exploring innovative eco-solu-tions involving fresh approaches to col-our and texture, aimed at contemporary interiors. This latest partnership with the American designer has thus spawned a colour palette designated LxO (mean-ing Libeskind for Oikos), which includes 33 intense chromatic solutions, in which light and colour merge.The jury’s decision was also based on the collection’s special presentation: a multicoloured orographic reinterpreta-tion of the natural process of canyon erosion, in which colours become three-dimensional and are added and sub-tracted according to the complex ge-ometries that are typical of Libeskind’s approach to design.

TTA AWARDS 2016: ASTOR WINS “FLOOR TILE OF THE YEAR”

At the 2016 TTA-Awards for manufactur-ers of ceramic floor and wall tiles, the “Floor Tile of The Year” award went to the Context collection by Astor Ceramiche, presented by Craven Dunnill & Co Ltd – one of the UK’s largest tile distributors – which has been trading from its base in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, since 1872. Run by the UK’s trade organisation for the sector – The Tile Association (TTA) – the official awards ceremony was held at the St John’s Hotel & Conference Centre in Solihull, and saw 18 ceramic manufacturers collect awards, each for a different category.The Context collection by Astor, pro-duced in two light and two dark colours – White, Amber, Brown and Shadow – re-works the style of terracotta from a con-temporary angle. The large number of available formats, which range from 60x120 cm to 10x20 cm, via 80x80, 45.3x75.8, 60x60, 30x60.5, 30x30 and 6x30 cm, is complemented by an equal-ly wide range of mosaics and trim piec-es. The line also offers outstandingly high performance in terms of water absorp-tion and resistance to abrasion, temper-ature swings and chemical aggression.

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Tile International 3/2016

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PROGRESS PROFILES OPENS NEW SUBSIDIARY IN AUSTRALIA

Progress Profiles, a major Italian manu-facturer of furnishing profiles and techni-cal installation systems, with a history of over 30 years in the business, has opened a new subsidiary in Australia, called Progress Profiles Oceania Pty Ltd, with headquarters in Melbourne en-compassing 300 sq.m of showrooms, of-fices and warehousing.With this latest company formation, fol-lowing those in Dubai (2008) and Ran-dolph in New Jersey (2012), the Veneto-based company intends to step up its coverage of the international market once again.“The opening of the Australian subsidi-ary is an important step for our interna-tional growth, and will play a vital role in effectively serving our Asian markets, New Zealand, Indonesia and Japan,” ex-plained Dennis Bordin, Managing Direc-tor of the Treviso-based company. Our goal is to keep expanding the Group worldwide, and make it a focal point for everyone looking for finishings that in-corporate authentic Italian design, which is a perfect blend of elegance, in-novation and material quality.”The opening of the Melbourne head-quarters is just the latest in a string of in-

vestments made by Progress Profiles in 2016, including the inauguration of the extension of the Asolo site with the addi-tion of new machinery, the construction of an automated warehouse and the fil-ing of various patents. The company posted a set of positive results in the first half of the year, with growth of 27% and exports now reaching over 50 countries and accounting for 35% of revenues.

without any visible joints, and the clas-sic, staggered installation pattern gives interior space a sense of continuity. Made with two layers of ash on a larch base, Flow Edition is available in the Trendpark format (1450x130x11 mm) with protective treatment and invisible B-Protect. Because they are slim, further-more, the floorboards are well suited for use with underfloor heating.

FLOW EDITION BY BAUWERK WINS 2016 ICONIC AWARD

Flow Edition, the new “continuous” wood flooring developed as a result of re-search carried out by the Swiss compa-ny Bauwerk won the flooring section of the Product category in the 2016 Iconic Awards. The jury of the renowned international competition, which promotes outstand-ingly innovative architectural projects and products, was especially impressed by Flow Edition, a 2-layer wood flooring product. Once laid, it creates an appar-ently seamless surface with no visible in-terruptions and in situ the floor shows no visible features other than the natural grain patterns of the wood. These completely unchamfered floor-boards, which earned the prestigious “Best of the Best” award, cover the floor

MARAZZI PARTNERS MILANO DESIGN FILM FESTIVAL

For the fourth year running, Ceramica Marazzi was among the partners of the Milano Design Film Festival, a design-ori-ented cinematography event held as part of the Fall Design Week - from 6 to 9 October - at the Cinema Teatro Anteo.“Having a Cigarette with Álvaro Siza” is a docu-film focusing on a conversation with the Portuguese designer Álvaro Siza, who is one of the biggest names in contemporary architecture and has won numerous awards, including the Pritzker Prize in 1992, the Wolf Prize in Arts in 2001, the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 2009 and a Leone d’Oro life-long achievement award at the 13th interna-tional architecture exhibition in Venice in 2012.Directed by Iain Dilthey, the film deals

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with the life and vision of the great archi-tect, as he reflects on the essence and aims of architecture.This partnership with the Milano Design Film Festival is one of Marazzi’s initiatives dedicated to the design and architec-ture sector, which frequently involve col-laborations and other types of partner-ship.“We are delighted to be supporting such a valuable initiative as the Milano De-sign Film Festival once again,” explained Mauro Vandini, Managing Director of Marazzi Group. “Close attention to the needs of the world of architecture is one of the cornerstones of our approach to the creation of contemporary ceramics, and we are particularly pleased to be presenting a film that provides a plat-form for as great an architect as Álvaro Siza.”

bricks equipped with low-voltage, solar-powered LEDs. Photovoltaic glass bricks provide a suf-fused lighting system for outdoor envi-ronments that is economical and quick to install because no ducting, wiring or maintenance are needed.Photovoltaic is specifically designed for outdoor public or residential applica-tions, such as pedestrian walkways, pavements, balconies, courtyards, jetties and gardens, as well as walls and verti-cal panels of all types. For best results, the bricks need to be lo-cated in an area with good exposure to sunlight, so that the batteries recharge properly.Photovoltaic bricks are fitted with a pow-erful lithium battery (LiFePO4 3.2V) and high-brightness LED (3000-3500MCD). The energy collected by the solar panel is stored in the battery and the bricks light up automatically, with the aid of a dusk sensor, when outdoor lighting lev-els fall below 30lux. When natural light-ing levels rise above 60lux, or when bat-tery charge falls below 2.4V, the LEDs switch off automatically.Protected by international patent No. PCT/IB2012/052085.

SEVES PRESENTS PHOTOVOLTAIC

Photovoltaic glass bricks manufactured by SevesGlassblock, transform glass, which is already an eco-sustainable ma-terial, into a new architectural product capable of meeting the needs of cus-tomised lighting and energy-saving ap-plications.The collection consists of walk-over glass

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ZERO-ZHERORISK®: LITOKOL FOR SUSTAINABILITY

A project that lays the foundations of an innovative generation of zero-impact products. This is Litokol’s commitment to developing a new technological plat-form denominated Zherorisk®. Achieving the highest possible score, the company won a bid for funding for its ZERO research project (Zero Environ-mental Risks in Our building), within the framework of the 2014-2020 European Regional Development Fund tender “Pri-ority Axis 1: Promoting Research and In-novation”, aimed at identifying basic compounds and process solutions ca-pable of spawning new building prod-ucts that meet a comprehensive range of safety and eco-compatibility require-ments. Litokol earned top score and first place in the league table in the “Build-ing and construction” specialism, and in the general league table for projects el-igible for “type B” funding – alongside other major Emilia-Romagna-based companies. Type B funding is earmarked for R&D work, supported by investments and production facility expansion initia-tives within the region.In its decision to fund the project – with a budget of over 1.6 million euros and a contribution amounting to 50% – the as-sessment committee expressed an es-pecially positive opinion of Litokol’s know-how, scientific partnerships, tech-nological advancement of its supply chain and the economic and market prospects deriving from the commer-cialisation of new products.

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Tile International 3/2016 16

G.E.T. CASA AND CERAMICA SANT’AGOSTINO

From July 2016 to April 2017, 21 G.e.t. Casa showrooms across the whole of China will be playing host to “G.e.t. Casa x Ceramica Sant’Agostino Design Award – GSDA”, an awards initiative aimed at representatives of China’s architecture and design sector. Deriving from a part-nership between Ceramica Sant’Agostino and the Chinese dealer G.e.t. Casa, the contest will involve over 1,000 designers, who will be given the task of creating ful-ly fledged works of art using the DIGITAL-ART collection, which has already won the ADI Ceramics Design Award and the Architizer A+Jury Award. The participating designers will have to decorate a white, 20x20 cm DIGITALART tile in front of a live audience. The resulting works will then compete for three awards: the “Most Pop-ular Asia Award”, the “Best Product Design Award” and the “Most Creative Design Asia Award”.The finalists will be selected by a high-calibre jury of three experts: Lu-isa Bocchietto, an architect and President of the ICSID (International Council of So-cieties of Industrial Design) and past president of ADI (Associazione per il Dis-egno Industriale); Simona Finessi, a pub-lisher and the founder and CEO of the ARCHMARATHON Awards, one of the most important international architecture awards; and Roberta Mutti, an architect and blogger. The winners will be invited to the 2017 edition of the Salone del Mobile in Milan, on the fringe of which the awards

ceremony will be held at H2Otto, Ce-ramica Sant’Agostino’s ex-hibition space in Milan.

Il premio “GS Design Award 2016” La collezione DIGITALART alla conquista della Cina con il progetto “2016-2017 G.e.t. Casa x Ceramica Sant'Agostino Design Award – GSDA”.

Da luglio 2016 ad aprile 2017, 21 showroom G.e.t. Casa, dislocate su tutto il territorio cinese, ospiteranno il progetto “G.e.t. Casa x Ceramica Sant'Agostino Design Award - GSDA”. Il premio, che si rivolge ai rappresentanti del mondo del design e dell'architettura cinese, è stato concepito per creare una diretta connessione con l'intero comparto progettuale autoctono e permettere ai designers e architetti cinesi di mostrare al mondo intero i propri capolavori.

Nato dalla collaborazione tra Ceramica Sant'Agostino, realtà italiana leader nel settore ceramico, e il rivenditore cinese G.e.t. Casa, il contest coinvolgerà su tre livelli più di 1.000 Architetti e Designer cinesi a cui verrà affidato il compito di creare vere e

proprie opere d’arte su una tela d’eccezione: la collezione DIGITALART, già premiata con i prestigiosi ADI Ceramics Design Award e Architizer A+Jury Award. Per tutta la durata del contest, le showroom G.e.t .Casa si trasformeranno quindi in inedite Gallerie d’Arte dove i progettisti si cimenteranno in live performance vestendo una piastrella DIGITALART White - nel formato 20x20 cm, realizzato ad hoc - con la propria cifra stilistica. Le opere così realizzate concorreranno a tre Award: il “Most Popular Asia Award”, il “Best Product Design Award” e il “Most Creative Design Asia Award”.

Most Popular Asia Award Più di mille immagini delle opere realizzate saranno caricate sulla piattaforma Wechat di G.e.t. Casa dove, a partire da metà settembre, sarà possibile scegliere il vincitore del “Most Popular Asia Award”. Tra i votanti, verranno inoltre sorteggiati tre fortunati che riceveranno da G.e.t. Casa un buono di 10.000 RMB ciascuno. Le opere dei primi quaranta classificati verranno digitalizzate e trasformate in illustrazioni 3D, diventando protagoniste di location ispirate al mondo contract firmate Ceramica Sant'Agostino.

Best Product Design Award e Most Creative Design Asia Award I primi due classificati dalla giuria popolare di ciascuna delle regioni ospitanti le 21 showroom concorreranno al Best Product Design Award e al Most Creative Design Asia Award. La selezione dei 42 finalisti verrà affidata a tre giurati d'eccezione: Luisa Bocchietto - noto architetto, Presidente dell'ICSID (International Council of Societies of Industrial Design) e past President di ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale), Simona Finessi –Fondatore e CEO degli ARCHMARATHON Awards, uno dei più importanti premi internazionali per il mondo dell’architettura e Editore e Direttore Responsabile ed Editoriale di PLATFORM Architecture & Design, e Roberta Mutti – architetto senior e blogger, appassionata di Marketing e Promozione. Ogni giurato assegnerà a ciascuna opera una votazione (da 0 a 10 punti); i 2 vincitori, ossia coloro che avranno ottenuto il maggior numero di punti da parte della giuria, verranno resi noti a metà novembre 2016.

I vincitori Ai vincitori delle tre categorie verrà offerto un volo A/R e un soggiorno di 4 giorni/3 notti a Milano durante l'edizione 2017 del Salone del Mobile (11-16 aprile). Il premio include il pass di accesso alla fiera iSaloni per tutta la durata della manifestazione. La cerimonia di consegna dei tre Awards avverrà durante la stessa Design Week presso H2Otto, lo spazio espositivo di Ceramica Sant'Agostino a Milano.

Con questo progetto Ceramica Sant'Agostino rafforza il concetto “+Art: non interpretiamo solo materie, ma creiamo ceramica” in un contesto internazionale di altissimo livello e conferma la rivoluzione apportata nel mondo ceramico dalla collezione DIGITALART.

RAK CERAMICS PRESENTS ITS REBRANDING STRATEGY AT CERSAIE

Multinational RAK Ceramics, one of the world’s largest ceramic manufacturers, with 17 production facilities, recently an-nounced the launch of its new brand and the merger of all its subsidiaries worldwide. The new strategy comes into effect in the United Arab Emirates imme-diately, and will be extended to the oth-er group companies over the course of 2017. The rebranding process is part of a programme of initiatives developed by the Group with a view to expanding Rak Ceramics on a global scale and step-ping up its coverage as an undisputed market leader.Rak presented the plan at Cersaie 2016, the ceramic industry’s foremost trade show, where the new Rak logo made its début at the company’s stand. The logo clearly represents Rak’s vision and mis-sion - “Room for Imagination” - which was also highlighted by the company’s products, including Maximus Mega-Slab, the largest porcelain panel manu-factured in the MENA area (Middle East & North Africa). In his inauguration speech at the Bolo-gna-based trade show, CEO Abdallah Massaad announced: “RAK Ceramics has 25 years of experience in the ce-ramic industry. Alongside our wide prod-uct range, focus on continuous innova-tion and commitment to the highest quality, this experience is one of the four pillars that underpins our vision. Our products, which already feature in some of the most architecturally significant buildings, and the launch of our re-branding strategy, reflect our ambition to become the world’s leading manu-

facturer of lifestyle solutions.”Andrea Mensitieri, VP Marketing and Product Development of RAK Ceramics explained: “For Rak Ceramics, Cersaie 2016 marks the first stage of a new jour-ney, which we embarked on in 2015 with a major rebranding plan. We are now extending this with a global campaign, a new logo, new showrooms, new mar-keting tools and a new approach to the development and promotion of our lat-est collections among influencers and trade professionals, to whom we are pre-senting ourselves as a worldwide brand leader in lifestyle solutions.”“‘Room for imagination’ is the claim of this campaign, aimed chiefly at discern-ing designers and consumers on the look-out for the ideal way of bringing their concept of living-space to life,” added Marco Borghi, Senior Product Communications Manager. RAK Ceram-ics pushes back the boundaries of im-agination through innovation, quality, a varied product range and long experi-ence in developing some of the most iconic projects in the world. We have planned a media mix on an internation-al scale, but with close attention to benchmark vertical titles in each target country, aimed at professionals who de-sign and execute their works on a glob-al scale.”Concurrently with Cersaie, the Group held a special event on 27 September, in the magnificent Salotto Boschi in the heart of Bologna, to present the re-nowned brand to stakeholders.

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Tile International 3/2016 18

THESIZE OPENS 3RD NEOLITH PRODUCTION LINE

Demand for Neolith® Compact Sintered Coverings has grown exponentially since the company’s opening of its Cas-tellón facility in Spain seven years ago. This prompted TheSize to install a third production line, which came on stream at the beginning of September 2016. The expansion will enable the company to process thicker panels, while still offer-ing customers other application op-tions. Mar Esteve Cortes, Head of Marketing at Neolith®, explained: “We ended last year on a very positive note, well above fore-casts. We expect further double-digit growth in 2016, and with the third pro-duction line on-stream, we will be able to generate even faster growth in 2017.”The third production line will enable Neolith® to supply customers with thicker panels, using latest-generation technol-ogy. Whereas the first line produces 3600x1200 mm panels with a thickness of 3 mm, the third line will be able to pro-duce a 3200x1600 mm format with thick-

nesses of 12 mm and 20 mm (and theo-retically up to 30 mm). Assigning a special thickness to each line will dou-ble the plant’s total production capaci-ty. The Neolith® brand was established on the strength of the latest industrial Re-search & Development procedures. The product is 100% natural, consists of clay, feldspar, silica and natural mineral ox-ides, and is recyclable.With porosity of almost zero, Neolith is a hygienic, non-staining product that’s easy to clean and impervious to chemi-cals. It is also wear-resistant, scratch-re-sistant and heat-resistant, and since its colours are natural, they are unaffected by exposure to UV radiation. Neolith also has the advantage of being extremely light and easy to install, so it is virtually unbeatable for all types of indoor and outdoor application.

MAKE A DATE WITH LEGNO&EDILIZIA 2017

The financial crisis hit the construction industry harder than any other sector, but the use of wood in building is on the increase. The first survey conducted by Assolegno shows that Italy, with market share of 8.4%, is Europe’s fourth largest producer of prefabricated wooden buildings, after Germany (25.4%), the United Kingdom (19.2%) and Sweden (15.6%); and that 3,025 new wooden buildings were com-

pleted in Italy in 2014 (of which 90% were residential) for a total value of 658 million euros. Italy’s biggest players in the sector are from Trentino Alto Adige (49%), Lombardy (42%) and Veneto (35%). The 2017 edition of Legno&Edilizia, the international exhibition on the use of wood in building, to be held in Verona from 9 to 12 February, caters for the growing interest in the sector and intro-duces a number of new developments:-firstly, Legno & Edilizia 2017 will have a whole section dedicated entirely to wood flooring, with a view to showcas-ing a comprehensive range of solutions to architects, developers and private customers in the shape of architectural floor coverings in every form, finish and species of wood;-roofs and roof coverings have been a staple of Legno & Edilizia throughout its history, but are now complemented by various other useful topics such as tradi-tional and bio-ecological finishings, in-sulating materials, membranes and ac-cessories, beams and laminated timber, attics and suspended ceilings;-another new feature of Legno & Edilizia 2017 is a specific area dedicated to doors, windows and their frames, ma-chinery for manufacturing them and accessories for their installation. This is a key area, in terms of styling, energy-sav-ing and traditional brick building.

www.topcer.com

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Tile International 3/2016

CERAMIC ARCHITECTURE BY COTTO D’ESTE

Ceramic Architecture by Cotto d’Este tes-tifies to the fact that beauty and techni-cal excellence are the cornerstones of contemporary architecture. With this in mind, Cotto d’Este is continuing to make a positive contribution to the design of the human habitat in the third millenni-um, in the form of technologically ad-vanced and aesthetically refined ceram-ic coverings. Of the various brands owned by the holding company Panar-iagroup, to which Cotto d’Este belongs, this is the one that has always been the most forward-looking, as witness its large formats, Kerlite slim-gauge porcelain panels and 3D digital decoration. Anoth-er factor that has helped make Cotto d’Este one of the leading players in con-temporary architecture is its ongoing commitment to forging partnerships with some of Italy’s most significant design firms, such as ABDR Architetti Associati, Stefano Boeri, Antonio Citterio, Mario Cu-cinella and Studio Openproject.

MEGA-PRO BY IMPERTEK

Impertek, which has been manufactur-ing construction materials for over 30 years, is continuing its journey of innova-tion with the development of MegaPro, a web application for the design of float-ing flooring for outdoor applications us-ing Martinetto and MegaMart pedes-tals.By logging into their own special re-served area, customers can use MegaPro to access a work space where they can design pedestal-mounted flooring according to their own, fully cus-tomisable technical drawing.The available tools replicate the func-tions of real ones, such as line marking, ruler, zoom, editing etc., and enable you to display the heights of each point.The pedestals are selected from the en-tire Martinetti and MegaMart range, and it only takes a few seconds to set the characteristics of your floor.Another key function is that MegaPro enables you to save your projects and generate a technical specification for each one, showing the details of the pedestals used.With its characteristically keen eye for technological evolution, Impertek has provided its customers with valuable support, in customised, easy-to-use form, which revolutionises the concept of on-line quotes.

PROGRESS PROFILES A DUBAI

Progress Profiles took part in The Big 5 trade show in Dubai, held over the last 10 days of November. The Big 5 is the Middle East’s largest trade event for the building industry, and brings construc-tion professionals into contact with Ital-ian technology, quality and design in the field of interior finishings, which are increasingly appreciated by the Arabic market. The construction industry also appears to be continuously expanding throughout the Gulf region, and the Unit-ed Arab Emirates is Italy’s largest market there. As Expo 2020 approaches, further-more, this market is set to expand.In Dubai, where everything is done on a grand scale, Progress Profiles - a leading manufacturer of furnishing profiles based in Treviso, Italy - opened a subsid-iary in 2008 and, in 2016 alone, its prod-ucts were used in the construction of the W Dubai Al Habtoor City and the Jewel of the Creek - two of the city’s most prestigious hotels - and in the Dubai Mall and Saint Regis Dubai Hotel. Progress Profiles’ vast product range of over 12,500 articles, including furnishing profiles, installation systems and mem-branes for walls and floors, provides the ideal solution for all types of environ-

ment. In fact, the company’s profiles were also chosen for the finishings of the city’s Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital, be-cause of their design and quality.But it’s not just about the Middle East and Dubai. Progress Profiles’ solutions were also used in the Bay La Sun Hotel & Marina, the first resort built in King Abdul-lah City, one of the six “economic cities” around Jeddah in Saudi Arabia; in the Bouskoura Golf City, an exclusive resi-dential complex in a verdant setting a few kilometres from Casablanca, Moroc-co; and in the Sheraton Club des Pins, a luxury hotel overlooking the Mediterra-nean in Algiers.

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WITH IMPERTEK innovation to be continued...

16 - 21 January 2017Munich - GermanyHall A3 - Stand 441

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Hall 7 - Stand B33

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Tile International 3/2016

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PATRICIA URQUIOLA DESIGNS NEW LAUFEN SHOWROOM IN MADRID

On 8 November, Laufen Bathrooms opened a new showroom in Madrid, de-signed by Patricia Urquiola - one of the most high-profile designers on the inter-national stage.Spread over two storeys offering almost 200 sq.m of floorspace, the showroom is designed to create a welcoming atmos-phere marked by a strong link between the designers and the collections on display.“The idea was to create a multi-purpose environment in a historic 20th Century vil-la - a new breed of showroom, where people can actually work.” Patricia Ur-quiola described it as: “An elegant, rigor-ous space, featuring premium materials such as marble mixed with onyx, glass, resin and oak, drawing inspiration from the materials most commonly used in bathroom design.”“Patricia has interpreted the spirit of our company to perfection,” announced Marc Viardot, Laufen’s Marketing & Prod-uct Director. “Working with her gave us a unique opportunity to exchange ideas, and proved to be an exciting challenge

that met our highest expectations. We asked Patricia to represent the evolution of consumers’ tastes and requirements in the field of bathroom design: func-tionality is no longer enough in today’s market, people want iconic pieces that deliver aesthetic appeal as well as prac-ticality. You need to imbue functions with emotional appeal so that you can transform interior space into architec-ture, not just in the home but in major works too. Patricia has given us a mas-ter-class in how to express this search for emotion.”The result is a special venue for archi-tects and professionals, built around the need to offer them a place where they can not only see the product range in the flesh and get advice from expert staff, but also create tailor-made ideas, which is one of the cornerstones of the Swiss-based company’s Research & De-velopment division.

EARTH BY CASALGRANDE PADANA WINS GERMAN DESIGN AWARD 2017

The German Design Award 2017, organ-ised by the German Design Council, which has been assessing and reward-ing international design excellence since 1953, recently announced its lat-est winners. Over 4000 entrants took part in the latest edition, with products and projects from 50 countries, with the result that international entrants ac-counted for 37% of the total, represent-ing a rise of 5% on last year. There are 48 categories in the award and the awards ceremony will take place on 10 Febru-ary 2017 in Frankfurt.Among the winners of the prestigious

award in the “Materials and Surfaces” category, was the ceramic project enti-tled Earth, spawned by a partnership between Casalgrande Padana and Pin-infarina. The porcelain covering im-pressed the jury with the way it com-bined the know-how of two different sectors to create a collection in which tactile three-dimensionality is obtained through a conceptual fusion of three different materials: glass, leather and fabric. The combination of aesthetics and technical performance even ex-tends to sustainability. Earth is also avail-able in Bios Antibacterial Hydrotect and Bios Self-Cleaning versions, which are to-tally eco-compatible. The collection is ideal for creating elegant environments, with either a sober or dynamic feel, on the strength of its broad colour palette and range of formats.Mauro Manfredini, Sales Director of Ca-salgrande Padana, explained: “We have always manufactured advanced ce-ramics that strike the right balance be-tween sustainable use of natural re-sources, care for the environment, technological progress, economic growth and social responsibility. To cre-ate the Earth collection, we decided to combine the strengths of two top-flight companies: Casalgrande Padana and Pininfarina, the best-known name in Ital-ian industrial design. The result is an un-precedented product, light-years from the countless imitations of natural mate-rials currently on the market.”