At Fuorisalone recently, Lea Ceramiche presented a new collection of surfaces, Concreto, designed by Fabio Novembre, with an installation in the showroom in Via Durini, Milan. Concreto reflects Lea Ceramiche’s philosophy, which focuses on a continuous evolution of ideas, harnessing technology, and in-depth research into the aesthetic properties of materials.
Concreto explores the possibilities of concrete through a hyper-realistic representation of cement surfaces. The design process started with aesthetic and material analysis to fully capture the features of the material. These were then warped and selectively emphasised so that the different textures and colours of cement could become the range’s background in four shades – extra light, light, medium, dark and rust. The range was then produced in laminated porcelain stoneware technology.
“Stoneware is the most advanced and sustainable building material of our time, a real tabula rasa to use to tell the stories of materials. You can’t leave out a chapter dedicated to cement. To narrate it, we tried to replicate the organic element in the mixture, the original material, water with its undulating movements (Tide), the absence of water (Dry), the stories of the creatures living in water (Reef and Foam) and the effect gravity has on water (Drops). The result is a very physical, organic collection, able to adapt to any setting,” explains Novembre.
“I grew up in one of those mythical New York lofts, an open space with few quite similar looking walls. In this setting cement, the material, and the impact of cement, is fundamental,” continues Novembre. “In order to give this kind of interpretive freedom to spaces, we arrived at this material from Lea. Concreto is a collection designed for those who do not want barriers, for those who take on a life without breaks and interruptions, for those who do not want to live in a cage.”
Concreto sees Lea Ceramiche introduce new formats to the Slimtech collection: 1,200 by 1,200mm, and 1,200 by 2,600mm, both 6mm thick., extending the application potential. Slimtech is also available in 3.5mm and 5.5mm thicknesses, reinforced with glass fibre, in 1,000 by 3,000mm sheets, plus 600 by 1,200 by 6mm. Visit Ceramiche Lea at Coverings to see the full potential of the Slimtech collection.
A new post by Joe Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, May 2018.