Terrae by Casalgrande Padana
The new Terrae collection by Casalgrande Padana offers a contemporary reinterpretation of the history of ceramics. To understand the meaning and the value of ceramics, we also have to explore the etymology of the word, which derives from the Greek keramiké (the techne, or “art of making terracotta pottery”) and keramikòs (“made of terracotta”), an adjective that comes from kéramos (“clay”, “potter’s earth”). So the term refers to the act of handling and firing clay and other sim ilar materials to make objects for everyday use. Essentially, ceramics are sand turned into objects, and by extension, elements for architecture, including tiles for flooring and coverings. This latter use brin gs us to Terrae, whose warm, material colours, enriched with the shades typical of terracotta, make for an innovative collection that combines the technology and performance of porcelain stoneware with the sophisticated, uneven appearance characteristic of craftsmanship objects made from the natural materials that form terracotta.
Terrae is a welcome addition to the already wide range of “material effect” tiles the Casalgrande Padana research laboratories have been developing for some time now. The material character and the enchanting craftsmanship is combined superbly with the impressive durability of porcelain stoneware in the Terrae collection, which offers the shades of terracotta in six plain options that echo the variety of tones of the original clays. The six colours (terrae bianco, terrae beige, terrae tortora, terrae caramel, terrae mattone and terrae tabacco) come in the sizes 20x20, 30x60, 60x60, 60x120, 120x120 and 120x278, with an R10 Natural matt finish; for the sizes 60x60 an d 60x120 in the colours Beige, Tortora and Tabacco, an R11 Grip finish is available, all with a thickness of 9 mm. Terrae is also available with a thickness of 20 mm with an anti-slip surface for use outdoors. These tiles can be laid on screed or directly on earth or grass.
In addition to the special trims (bullnose, step tread, assembled step tread and assembled corner piece), Terrae offers three engraved decorations: the cannetè ribbed decoration, in the 60x120 size, and 5x5 and 5x15 mosaic decorations in the size 30x30 for all the colours in the collection. The engraved decorations are joined, for the 20x20 size, by contemporary geometric patterns (dek mix, circle, triangle) that combine a number of shades. The versatility of t he sizes, shades, finishes and decorations make Terrae suitable for creating unique living spaces, both indoors - where the plain colours in the collection can be used on both floors and walls to complement an y style - and outdoors, where the allure of the terracotta blends smoothly with the landscape and has guaranteed anti-slip properties.
Like all the Casalgrande Padana collections, Terrae is made entirely from natural raw materials, making it compliant with ecological requisites. The tiles in the collection are long-lasting, non-absorbent, nonallergenic, fire-resistant and antibacterial (thanks to the Bios Antibacterial® technology, available on request). They also have excellent bending strength, and are easy to lay and to clean. Like all the Casalgrande Padana porcelain stoneware tiles, Terrae offers a rich variety of sizes, obtained using a closed-cycle manufacturing process in which sophisticated anti-pollution equipment allows all the components to be recycled and reused, in keeping with the guiding values of the circular economy and with virtually zero emissions and dispersion.
