riad table
2015
Co-signed with Alvaro Catalan de Ocon.
Photo Credits: Mario Greco
Dristributor: acdo.es
During a visit to Marrakech in 2014, we encountered a workshop producing cement tiles. The process—entirely manual—and the strong visual presence of these elements, so familiar in domestic spaces, became the starting point for the project.
Cement tiles originated in Mediterranean Europe at the beginning of the 20th century as an industrial evolution of mosaic and marble aggregate floors. Today, due to the labour-intensive nature of their production, this tradition has largely shifted to North Africa, where craftsmanship remains central.
Riad Table builds on this heritage, reinterpreting both the manufacturing process and the graphic language of hydraulic tiles. Its patterns draw from a wide cultural geography, from the Alhambra to the Great Mosque of Damascus, reflecting a shared visual tradition across the Mediterranean.
The project is based on a simple gesture: to decontextualize a construction material by isolating it and transforming it into an autonomous object.
Much of the design work takes place beyond what is immediately visible. The tile is re-engineered through the integration of lighter and more resistant materials, and through modifications to its traditional production process. A metal element is inserted as a structural node, reinforcing the piece while defining the precise geometry of the legs.
The result is a table suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Its hexagonal form allows multiple units to be combined, generating larger surfaces that recall a raised floor system
process pictures
