Issue and Categories 2014

TILED HAUNTS tiled favourite places, meeting points and living spaces

Quite frequently, the place, environment or the living spaces where people spend their time are hardly noticed. Nevertheless, some places are visited again and again because they are beautiful or exceptional, homely and quiet or dynamic. Maybe, these are actually favourite places people have discovered for themselves and which with their appearance and quiet invite to relax and indulge. These can be places arousing joie de vivre, which are lively and intriguing and not only impress with their aesthetic but also with their distinctiveness. Some people regain their strength after a strenuous day when enjoying a long foam bath in their own four walls or when dining together with their family in a relaxed atmosphere. Others, in turn, find relaxation and recreation during a long day at the university, between lectures and seminars, in a sheltered courtyard or on a window sill in a less frequented corridor. Some, however, exactly prefer the cafeteria or the foyer, where they engage in stimulating conversations with other people, sit in pleasant company and then feel relaxed. But there are also places which are specifically made for stressed people such as swimming pools, sports and wellness centres or spas. Here, too, everyone has already found a favoured place, like the lounger next to the sauna or the steam bath, in a position that is sheltered by lush plants and offers an unrestricted view into the landscape. Or it is the chill-out room that gives energy and lets people forget their burdens.

A creative and innovative tile concept shall be developed for the very individual favourite place in a certain living space such as a place of learning, habitation or relaxation. Planning with tiles can be highly individual and multi-faceted, just as the different favourite places. Regardless whether it is an exterior or interior space, the unconventional use of tiles can generate a completely new and modern identity, which exactly makes it a favourite place for other people as well – no matter whether for large or small people, young or old, students or working people.