showroom - Tile of Spain

Photograph of the spectacular Spanish Pavilion, covered with multi-coloured lattice tiles.The hexagonal ceramic tiles make up acomplex screen system. Alejandro Zaera alsodesigned the stainless steel structures andfixings, while the 15,000 ceramic tiles (11,000hollow and 4,000 flat) were designed byCerámica Decorativa and Toni Cumella. Thescreen uses a system or set of 14 tiles, sixdifferent hexagons each with theircorresponding mirror image– the wall has beenclad on both sides– plus two special pieces tomake the corners. The overall appearance ofthe wall is that of an irregular membrane, avisual effect that is heightened by the warmhues of the generous color palette that hasbeen used: two reds, selenium orange, yellow,salmon and dark brown.Spain and its sun, sand, wine and leather, etc., are the inspirationbehind the colours used for these lattice tiles.between the indoors and outdoors and filteringthe light to create a rich effect of lights andshadows.Cerámica Decorativa and Toni Cumelladevised a special production process for thesetiles, taking into account their complexity inorder to deliver the technical specificationsthe project demanded. Fourteen moulds hadto be made for the wet paste and the tiles hadto be fired twice. The first was a slow firing ina tunnel kiln to give the tiles the requiredstrength. Then, after the application of thesurface glaze by spray painting, the tiles weregiven a second firing in a muffle kiln, whichlasted 26 hours.Japan’s rigorous earthquake regulations meantthat Zaera and Mousavi had to leave a gap ofone or two centimetres between each of thesides of the tiles. The requirement in factfavored the project as the gaps have given thefaçade an air of lightness. The space betweenthe screen and the solid inner structure acts asa kind of porch, blurring the boundariesThe end result is a pavilion that is undoubtedlyone of the most outstanding at this WorldExposition. The architect himself has suggestedthat when the exhibition closes, the tiles bedonated to nurseries in the city of Nagoya forthe children to play with or to the city’s parks,as sculptures, “so that some of the fabric ofSpain can become an integral part of Japan.”04CERASPAÑA