Deadline Extended for 2020 Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition

North American architects, designers, and students can breathe a sigh of relief: Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) and the Italian Trade Agency recently announced an extension of the submission deadline for the 2020 Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition. Submissions will close January 31. 

Now in its 27th year, the competition recognizes outstanding work by architecture and design firms, as well as design students, in North America whose recent projects demonstrate the expansive technical and aesthetic qualities of Italian ceramic or porcelain tile. Projects submitted to the Residential, Commercial, and Institutional categories must have been completed between January 2015 and January 2020, and may include domestic and international work of all scales and styles. For the Student category, individuals or groups enrolled in an accredited North American university are invited to submit their projects in the form of renderings, floor plans, and sketches. 

A team of international jurors will take into account the following criteria: the overall design of the project; the aesthetic and technical quality of the tile installation; the degree to which tile enhances the setting; and the project’s sustainable attributes. 

This year, the competition also features an entirely new component: its first ever People’s Choice Award. The People’s Choice winner will be determined by public votes. It works as one may expect: The project that earns the most votes, takes home the prize. Those tuned into the competition are encouraged to vote for their favorite project through an interactive platform that will remain active through February 15. 

Competition winners will be notified in March and an official announcement will follow at the Ceramics of Italy International Press Conference at Coverings in New Orleans April 20-23. For built projects selected by the jury, the prize package includes a $2,000 cash prize, an all-expenses paid trip to New Orleans for Coverings to present their project, as well as a five-day CEU-accredited trip to Bologna, Italy to attend Cersaie—the world’s largest exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings. An additional $1,000 will be awarded to the contractor or distributor team involved in each winning project. The winning student entry will receive an opportunity to network and present their work to an esteemed crowd of architects and designers with an all-expenses paid trip to New Orleans for Coverings. 

Details regarding the competition guidelines, submission form, and an archive of winning projects can be found here. There is no fee to enter and multiple submissions are accepted. Past winners include design firms such as Snøhetta, Gensler, tvsdesign, and Renzo Piano Building Workshop. 

Read more: 10 Spaces Designed With Colorful Tiles