The TILE AWARD is aimed at young (interior) architects and is a creativity competition organised by the architectural ceramics specialist AGROB BUCHTAL. The main focus of this competition is to make the most of the possible designs of ceramic tiles through experimentation. The feedback from the première in 2010 was so tremendous that the competition was continued in 2012 and 2014 and was held for the fourth time in 2017. The winners were honoured during the first half of 2018 and their designs built and photographed in their original size.

The call went out for fresh ideas on the subject of “colour and patterns in architecture”. Spaces were to be designed innovatively with ceramic tiles so as to highlight the various possibilities afforded by this building material and object of cultural heritage. Design submissions in the categories of HEALTH/CARE, MOBILE/TRANSIT and SHOP/SHOW were accepted until the end of May 2017. In its first session, the panel of specialist judges made up of 

• Brendan MacFarlane (Jakob + MacFarlane, FR-Paris)

• Johan Oscarson (Elding Oscarson, SE-Stockholm)

• Michael Stoz (Partner AG, DE-Offenburg)

• Boštjan Vuga (SADAR+VUGA d.o.o., SL-Ljubljana) 

• Christian Waldner (AllesWirdGut Architektur ZT GmbH, AT-Vienna/DE-Munich)

chose the nine best designs from 63 pieces sent in from 20 countries. These nine designers were invited in the autumn of 2017 on a workshop trip to Iceland, where they were able to discuss their submissions in an inspirational environment with experts from Agrob Buchtal and develop their ideas further. In January 2018, the panel of specialist judges then crowned the three winners:

• Transmittance by Avishkar Bharati, JDAP Design-Architecture-Planning, Mumbai, India

• RE: Tile by Andreas Crynen, Ingenhoven Architects, Düsseldorf, Germany

• Stay Unique by Agnes Tröger-Morguet, Agnes Morguet Innenarchitektur & Design, Cologne, Germany

These three designs were built as 1:1 models in the 2nd quarter of 2018 and professionally photographed.  

The basic intention was also achieved in the fourth TILE AWARD by AGROB BUCHTAL: the results impress through their wealth of ideas and unusual interpretation of the task—an effect that was expressly desired and which highlights the almost inexhaustible repertoire of ceramic tiles, even and indeed especially when it comes to colour, pattern, proportion and shape as a fundamental stylistic element of architecture. For the participants, the competition again offered an opportunity to showcase their own potential and that of the material, network with creatives from different cultural backgrounds and to acquire inspirational ideas.

About AGROB BUCHTAL

As a specialist in architectural ceramics, AGROB BUCHTAL offers an extensive portfolio of products and services for contemporary and forward-looking building and design using ceramics. The company’s history dates back into the 18th century. Today, AGROB BUCHTAL is a global player firmly rooted in Germany. The richly varied tile collections and special tailored solutions are used all over the world—on the facade of a prize-winning residential complex in London or on the roof of the Museum of Cultures in Basle, in a swimming pool in Shenzhen, on a promenade in Abu Dhabi or in Munich’s underground railway network.