Grand Prix 25 years of history, 25 years of future
The Grand Prix is a privileged observatory of the use of ceramics in architecture and the development of design research within the entire sector. A successful cultural initiative that has grown over these 25 years, becoming a must-go event, thanks to the level of the competing projects from all five continents, the accurate work of the international jury made up of industry experts, designers, professors, and critics, and the appreciation of distinguished personalities from the world of architecture, research, academia, and communication. Casalgrande Padana’s idea to organise, promote, and support an international architecture competition that could leave the centre stage to the quality of the works and the creative, innovative, and technologically appropriate use of ceramic materials, and especially porcelain stoneware, came up back in 1990. The main purpose has always been to promote the fruitful encounter and exchange between Casalgrande Padana – one of the world’s major players in this industry – and the authors of the architectural projects that enhance the value of this material through original interpretations and its application in the architectural work.
Ever since its first edition, Casalgrande Padana’s Grand Prix has had the merit to place the technical features and aesthetic potential of porcelain stoneware elements under the spotlight, highlighting their flexibility and versatility. From demanding modern architecture buildings to the restoration of existing ones; from interior design to external floorings; from coverings to façade envelopes; from special applications to large high-traffic areas of shopping centres, airports, hotels, and residential spaces. But that’s not all.
The Grand Prix also analyses and selects projects from all over the world, 8
comparing different experiences and verifying the state of the design process in various cultural and territorial fields of intervention. A set of ambitious goals that, 25 years later, allows us to draw a positive balance. Casalgrande Padana is particularly proud of its Grand Prix. A unique event that goes beyond a competition of ideas and takes the contest on a concrete level among completed works to reward the best results in the use of the materials the company produces in the various construction fields. A valuable picture of the evolution of this material, surfaces, performance, installation techniques and systems, as well as of the surprising emotional results. This way ceramics turns into an element of high architectural value. The winning projects shown in this volume bear witness to all this. Over the years, this initiative has had its fair share of imitations, which have not affected its prestige and authoritativeness in any way.
Edition after edition, the Grand Prix has become one of the most important and popular architectural competitions, drawing a lot of attention from the industry- related media. To this end, the volume you are holding in your hands plays a strategic role. The Creative Book was specifically designed to collect the winning projects and outstanding works of every edition, and is created in close collaboration with the international architecture magazine Casabella, with which it is distributed with a print run of over 60,000 copies. The figure referring to the strong internationalisation of the Grand Prix stands out. This event has become a global reference in the fields of marketing and research on the application of ceramic materials, and not just for Casalgrande Padana. The growing participation of architects from all the world with projects carried out across the five continents reflects Casalgrande Padana’s presence and
creative book casalgrande padana
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