The ancient art of Venetian terrazzo flooring: Ariostea’s Accademia surfaces

Design ideas and proposals can be inspired by a great variety of observations and considerations, from the new needs of society to reclamation of objects and materials originally designed for other functions, observation of Nature and the union of multiple elements to create something new. 

The architect’s creative baggage is vast and continually evolving, but the best Italian design, in all its most prominent and highly successful forms, draws inspiration from the country’s classic traditions, viewing the past as an essential guide for the present and source of teaching for the future.
This essential principle reflects the centuries-old traditions of Italy in the arts and manufacturing, reinterpreted for new generations and in response to the demands of today’s changing society.

The high-tech soul of many Italian brands, particularly in the ceramics industry, has brought about a new form of Made in Italy for surfaces reflecting the heritage of Italian craftsmanship.
This is the case, for example, of the brands in the Iris Ceramica Group, a world leader in ceramics with decades of experience in innovation and production of top-quality ceramics.

 

The recent new collection of Accademia Full Body full-body ceramic floor and wall coverings by Ariostea is inspired by precisely these historic references, beginning with the name of the collection.

Ariostea’s Accademia collection is inspired by the traditions of Venice and named after the city’s fine arts academy, the extraordinary Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia, an important component of the artistic heritage of Italy and the western world.

Established in 1750, Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia is the famous institution where the disciplines of painting, sculpture, and, beginning in 1768, architecture were taught by great masters and artists. As soon as it opened, the Accademia began acquiring artworks for the purposes of restoration and teaching, quickly becoming an authoritative global reference. A few decades after its opening, in 1817, the Gallerie dell’Accademia art gallery was opened in the same building.
Now a state-owned Italian museum, the Galleria dell’Accademia is the most important museum of art from the city of Venice and the region of Veneto, with a particular focus on the fourteenth to eighteenth centuries, including works by artists such as Tintoretto, Tiziano, Canaletto, Giorgione, Bellini, Veronese and many more.

 

The reference to Venice in Ariostea’s Accademia collection, is not limited to the name; the Accademia collection is concretely inspired by the art of ancient Venetian terrazzo floors, "in the look and essence of authentic matter".

Venetian terrazzo flooring is a traditional type of flooring made from ground stone and marble, and while its use in construction has much older roots, dating back to classical Greece and Rome, it became particularly popular in Renaissance Venice, when it was used in villas, palaces and religious buildings.

In addition to the beauty of its composition and architectural peculiarities, Venetian flooring has always offered great strength, the reason for its popularity in the lagoon city.

Ariostea now brings back this look with use of “carefully selected natural raw materials and pigmented powders, without the addition of toxic substances”. 

Use of top-quality Ariostea porcelain produces a highly compact, resistant floor which is frost-proof and resistant to chemical and atmospheric aggression. What’s more, its surface guarantees stability against shocks, tread and stress, while ensuring durability over the years and versatility for different applications.

A full-body product, it also stands out for its ceramic substrate characterised by continuity of composition throughout its entire thickness, as the appearance of the surface is continued throughout the entire depth of the material. In other words, the technical, aesthetic and functional qualities of the slab are the same throughout its entire thickness.

 

The six colours of the Accademia collection pay tribute to six great Venetian painters of the past.
Surfaces which "are created from shades that can be combined with one another", exploring hues of beige in Canaletto and Tintoretto, shades of grey in Bellini and Tiepolo, and various nuances of black in Veronese e Tiziano. 

The ceramic slabs are available in the traditional 120x60 and 60x60 cm sizes and, beginning in Spring 2021, also in the new 150x75, 75x75, and 100x100 cm sizes. There are two finishes: Levigato Lucidato, a reflective surface inspired by the traditional look of original Venetian floors, and Soft, with a matt effect for a more contemporary look. 

The characteristic grainy texture of Accademia camouflages the joints, "allowing for the creation of striking surfaces with a continuous appearance". 

 

On request, Accademia is also available in ACTIVE SURFACES, a system of photocatalytic slabs able to significantly reduce the harmful effects of the main air pollutants and almost entirely eliminate a number of dangerous bacteria thanks to an exclusive combination of titanium dioxide and silver.

Exercising their protective action 24h hours a day (in the presence of daylight or LED light, and even in the dark), ACTIVE SURFACES have an antibacterial and antiviral, anti-pollutant, anti-odour and self-cleaning effect.

The charm of Venetian terrazzo flooring materials from the Accademia collection adds a touch of elegance to a great variety of spaces, not only in the home but in hospitality and commercial spaces, as well as in restoration projects showing respect for historic buildings. 

A solution combining the classical with the contemporary, taking advantage of the best technical and aesthetic properties of both.