At a time of uncertainty about the future, our commitment is to save what we hold most dear: our roots and links to the world we have inherited and that we would like to pass on to the generations to come. To do so, we promote technological innovation that helps to mitigate the impact of industrial production, generating new value from the by-products of its processes; we also nurture conscious communities that share common values and take over on the actions needed to fight climate change. People coming from even very distant contexts are called upon to sign a transcultural pact that strengthens their ties and fosters their actions.
Project – Drift Modular Cladding
Location -Dubai, UAE
Collection – Drift
Type – Industrial Design, Sustainability
Status: International Competition Winning Entry
Client – Iris Ceramica Group
Materials – Ceramic wall panels with customized printing patterns
Uses – Interior & exterior wall cladding
Product launch – 2023
Designer – Niko Kapa
Design – Studio Niko Kapa
As a fast-evolving multicultural hub and a paradigm of a global community, Dubai is the final destination of the Iris Ceramica Group international contest for creative industry professionals “Local Cultures in Global Settings”. Dubai conveys a narrative that goes beyond the stereotype of a place with no context, promoting the research carried out by a new generation of designers who in their works address the concept of belonging in a dynamic conversation with technology and in collaboration with the broader community of artists, creatives and scientists.
The relationship with history and the imagination of a collaborative future were core values of the project. The contest aims to foster knowledge of a multiplicity of unique roots and identities, by choosing Dubai as a symbolic place of the global discourse: a melting pot of over 200 nationalities settled in its territory, an inclusive ecosystem of innovation celebrated at the expo, a platform for cultural heritage discourse emphasized in the permanent collection exhibited at Louvre Abu Dhabi, where the common roots of a multifaceted universe are explored.
Evolving from local to ‘glocal’, project comments on the ways natural environment is replaced by humanmade in relation to the rapid urbanisation of Dubai, questioning potentiality of generating discussion among the two, while design enhances the tactility that develops the human-space correlation with the ceramic surfaces.
Influenced by the narrative power of Roberto Burle Marx’s work relying in integration of landscape and architecture, proposal presents a reconciliation with nature, forming a discourse among built space and nature. The value of nature as a source of inspiration is combined with the impact of cultural confluence by abstracting such values to visual language through aggregation.
Taking advantage of innovative printing possibilities of the DYS modus operandi, a dynamic dialogue with technology and progress is materialised. The continuous ripples add plasticity to 2-dimensional surface, reflecting the continuity of printing process and technical features behind the manufacture of Iris Ceramica ceramic slabs.
About Studio Niko Kapa
Niko Kapa is an award-winning architect, industrial designer and researcher recognised as one of the most influential young design practitioners in Middle East. Studio Niko Kapa supports innovative architecture using research as an integral part of the design process, with a specific focus on sustainability as well as the cultural importance of architecture and design. By developing a wide range of activities, the Studio aims to build on the growing sense of awareness towards the built environment, shedding light on modern architecture, urban and landscape design, while targeting the recognition of modern heritage.
With an interest in the pioneering research and investigation, they maintain an active role throughout the creative process, in the interrelated fields of architecture and design.
Exploring architecture’s ability to communicate cultural content they are interested in how new technologies can interface with the architectural traditions of craft, materiality, pattern and how material effects can be tuned to human occupancy. Having a specific focus on sustainability as well as the cultural importance of architecture, Studio’s work is addressing urban planning, architecture and industrial design, with an effort to build links between theory and practice.
About Iris Ceramica Group
Established in 1961, Iris Ceramica Group is the leader in the design, production, and sales of ceramic tiles. The group manufactures a wide range of porcelain stoneware, special floors and wall coverings that meet the aesthetic and functional requirements of consumers, architects, interior designers, and builders. Over the years, the company has introduced a series of innovative processes and products and acquired many technological patents that have become a point of reference for tile production.
The products from its brands follow the Italian high standards and are manufactured according to the legislation in order to keep the environment safe, and thereby reducing health and pollution risks. This is considered to be a constant process of pursuing knowledge and practices that can lead to more Eco-friendly and Eco-responsible decisions and lifestyles, with the following aims: to protect the environment and to sustain its natural resources for current and future generations.
