Tile of Spain has announced the prize-winners of its prestigious awards, celebrating the creative use of ceramics in architecture and design.

Now in its 19th edition, the competition is organised by ASCER, the Spanish ceramic tile manufacturers’ association. The annual awards are regarded as a major global event in the industry, earning its winners a highly respected accolade.

First prize in the Architecture category, with a cash award of €17,000, went to Mesura Architects’ Studio for Casa Ter, a detached home in the La Bisbal area of Catalonia. The jury highlighted the versatile use given to one single material in positions and functions of all kinds. They also praised the reinterpretation of a traditional material in a home that revitalised the landscape and its surroundings. 

The winner of the Interior Design category, also receiving a cash prize of €17,000, was Arantxa Manrique Arquitectes for the Atlantis Gastrobar in Barcelona. The judges applauded how ceramic was used as a star feature of the whole project. They admired the refreshing, timeless appeal of the setting, which utilised tiles to create impact in a small space.

The award for the Final Degree Project, a category for architecture students with a prize of €5,000, was won by Andrea Puebla Yubero from CEU San Pablo University in Madrid. This proposal is for a centre for unaccompanied under-age immigrants. The jury was impressed by the invention of a new form of impluvium, going one step beyond traditional Mediterranean impluvium courtyard homes. They noted how ceramic materials are an intrinsic part of this project and a fundamental factor in its expressive capacity.

In addition to the first prizes, the judges awarded two special mentions in each category. For innovation in architecture, the Young Old House by Enrique Espinosa and Lys Villalba stood out for its bold new use of ceramic materials on a local, rural building. Also honoured was Runnymede College Campus by Rojo / Fernández-Shaw for mixing tiles sympathetically with more industrial materials.

In the interior design category, La Roca’s Camper store by Tomás Alonso caught the judging panel’s eye for its intriguing volumetric effect. A special mention also went to the project ‘Six homes in Cabrera de Mar’ by TWOBO Arquitectura for harmonising indoor and outdoor space.

The jury met online to make its deliberations and included Javier Villar Ruiz (of KKAA), Daria de Seta (Garcés-de Seta-Bonet Arquitectes), Jordi Ayala-Bril (Arquitectura-G), Izaskun Chinchilla and Lázaro Rosa-Violán on its panel. 

The awards were sponsored by ICEX, Endesa and the Valencia Port Authority.

Tile of Spain is the voice of the Spanish tile industry, representing more than 125 tile manufacturers. 

www.tileofspainawards.com