Casalgrande Padana honoured with German prize Earth wins the German Design Award

A prestigious award for a project that shows off the potential of ceramic, recognising the quality and creativity in a collection that redefines the concept of texture and appearance thanks to the marriage of artisanal elegance and technological inno

The Earth collection is a truly original project based around a range of porcelain stoneware tiles featuring a three-dimensional texture obtained by combining three very different materials: glass, leather and fabric. Earth is the first ceramic collection designed by Pininfarina and created by Casalgrande Padana. The tiles that make up the collection are extremely versatile, featuring a texture that draws inspiration from the world of cars, something that generates a multi-sensory effect, conveying a sense of measured luxury and beauty underpinned by a sophisticated, simple design.

These are just a few of the aesthetic characteristics – without even going into Earth’s incredible technical attributes – which prompted the International Panel of the prestigious German Design Award 2017 to honour the Earth collection in its “Materials and Surfaces” category. Renowned the world over as a prestigious, authoritative institution, the German Design Award aims to recognise those designers and companies who have succeeded in producing projects which merge creativity, quality and functionality while respecting the environment and all human beings. The panel examines hundreds of projects for every edition of the award, with the applications representing an exhaustive panorama of the world of planning and design, within which individuals and companies from Italy have often stood out.

It was the comprehensive nature of the Earth project that made the panel’s mind up. The collection features a simple – yet sophisticated – design and intelligently uses a range of different materials and finishes: bodywork paint, fine woods and natural leather which was treated to enable it to be used as a covering.

“The overriding perception is that of a warm, welcoming surface,” explains Paolo Pininfarina, “though from close range you are able to appreciate the innovative character and three-dimensional texture of the tiles. Earth takes on an entirely different nature depending on the distance and angle from which you look at and touch the tiles.”

In addition to aesthetic excellence, the collection also features the extraordinary technical attributes of Casalgrande Padana porcelain stoneware, which guarantees strength, solidity and longevity.

Yet neither aesthetics nor technical attributes have come at the expense of sustainability. Indeed, Earth is also available in the environmentally friendly Bios Antibacterial Hydrotect and Bios Self-Cleaning versions. The collection gives itself to a range of creative uses, lending an invaluable contribution to both elegant, understated rooms and lively, dynamic spaces thanks to a wide range of colours and the availability of several different tile dimensions, including larger formats.

“We’ve always produced advanced ceramic materials which strike the perfect balance between a respect for natural resources, protecting the environment, technological progress, economic growth and social responsibility,” explains Mauro Manfredini, Casalgrande Padana commercial director. “For the Earth collection, we wanted to bring together two pinnacles of excellence: Casalgrande Padana and Pininfarina, a leading name in Italy’s industrial design sector. The result is a collection brimming with innovative design, a far cry from the many imitations of natural materials which currently exist on the market.”

The Germany Design Award ceremony will take place in Frankfurt on 10 February 2017.