Call for Entries: 2016 Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition
Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) and the Italian Trade Commission are pleased to announce the official call for entries for the 2016 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 experts selects three winning projects as well as honorable mentions in the residential, institutional, and commercial/hospitality sectors. Projects displaying the highest 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.
Winners will be notified in March and officially announced at the Ceramics of Italy International Press Conference at Coverings, which takes place in Chicago from April 18-21, 2016. 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 5-day trip to Bologna, Italy next fall to attend Cersaie – the world’s largest exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings – alongside a handpicked delegation of colleagues and design journalists. The trip includes CEU credits and guided tours of the show, as well as cultural visits around Italy.
The competition guidelines, online application and an archive of winning projects from past years can be found on the Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition website, www.tilecompetition.com. There is no fee to enter and multiple submissions are accepted. Deadline for entries: January 15, 2016.