The future of architecture lies in large formats
Mies van der Rohe, father of some of the most significant works of the last century and the motto "Less is more," would undoubtedly be pleased to know that the spatial continuity he sought in his designs is now widely explored. This visionary German architect conceived and built his buildings as continuous and fluid spaces. The Barcelona Pavilion - one of his most renowned projects - is organized as a continuous path between communicating indoor and outdoor spaces. With no closed rooms but merely juxtaposed walls, the materials used emphasize such continuity.
Today, it is possible to achieve an aesthetic finish comparable, complete visual continuity with high technical performance that drastically reduces the maintenance costs of the building, while achieving better performance. Even today, Mies van der Rohe's avant-garde vision remains a reference for contemporary architecture: on the one hand, for the concept of fluid and continuous space, and on the other, for the wise use of material.
Inspired Technology The most advanced technologies available on the market today allow us to achieve exceptional results, particularly with porcelain stoneware. With digital decoration, porcelain stoneware slabs become surfaces inspired by many materials, from natural ones like marble and wood to industrial ones like metals and concretes. By working digitally, the product research and development process can work on the imperfections of the materials it is inspired by. In addition to very high aesthetic quality, technology has allowed us to reach sizes never seen before.
The sizes extend up to 160 x 320 cm, allowing for use in large spaces without visual interruptions. Consider a hotel lobby, for example, where the choice of materials must take into account a high flow of people, requiring quick and effective cleaning: in this case, a large slab is ideal, given its performance and reduced maintenance times. The combination of expressive capacity, technical and functional performance, thus allows for the perfect solution for designing continuous surfaces and expanding their use in other design areas. Porcelain stoneware is a material “ready” to be chosen and laid, which entails a significant reduction in construction times. Compared to natural materials, it does not need to be sourced and does not have the processing costs of a stone, for example, making it an ideal choice for large-scale building interventions.
Horizontal and Vertical: The Two Dimensions of Living The characteristics of large-format porcelain stoneware can be an advantage not only for floor laying but also for wall applications. The large format allows for no horizontal joints, solving the vertical composition in a single strip. Porcelain stoneware slabs cater to all spaces in the home, adding value to both the large wall and the small spaces, enabling synergies and color combinations with the furniture and delivering refined and unique environments.
The bathroom is undoubtedly a room in the house where a large format can express itself fully, just think of the continuity that can exist between the floor and ceiling and with fixed furnishings like the bathtub and shower. The interior design of bathrooms has long looked to a soft and minimal aesthetic, which enhances the building materials and furniture: the bathroom is conceived as a small domestic spa. Having to ensure its use over time and practicality in daily life, architects are always in search of materials that are as practical as possible, without compromising aesthetics. The large formats that reinterpret marbles, stones, and onyxes offer a perfect balance between aesthetics and function.
Urban Aesthetics Today, the design of the building is a complex mechanism that must ensure compliance with performance and environmental standards on the one hand and provide a quality urban image on the other. For this scale of design a large format can be interesting to have a continuous surface. The slabs are firmly anchored to a metal structure that supports the entire facade, thus allowing high insulation and extreme ease of maintenance. The ease of installation of facade systems greatly reduces the possibility of error, easily visible and verifiable in an envelope.
The large format is, therefore, a choice capable of responding to all scales of the project and offering the ideal solution for the demands of contemporary living, which increasingly seeks high performance together with design aesthetics.