ACPV ARCHITECTS’ project for the new Madrid flagship showroom of Italian ceramics and stoneware brand Marazzi reimagines the 300-sqm space overlooking the very heart of the city to accommodate the infinite collection of ceramic surfaces. In the heart of the Spanish capital, overlooking the very central Calle Serrano and Calle Juan Bravo, the showroom greets visitors in a hospitable interior: The Welcoming Room, designed in accordance with the ‘Living Kitchen’ concept, combines the compositional versatility of large stoneware slabs and the vibrant gleam of the Crogiolo small-size collections to connect areas and functions around the kitchen.

 “In this project,” architect Patricia Viel explains, “the dialogue between spaces is reinforced with the aid of materials and objects that reference craftsmanship and convey a positive mood. Ceramics are wonderful because they are so versatile: one of the most ancient and definitely one of the most eclectic materials, they can be both high-tech, in their adaptability and potential for future research and development and low-tech, in their authentic beauty. So they are ideally placed to adapt and respond to new demands.” 

Thanks to the partnership with Signature Kitchen Suite, which also provided the large appliances installed in full view, the induction hob disappears into the kitchen countertop in Travertino Classico stoneware from the Marazzi The Top collection of large slabs, freeing up additional space for entertaining. A succession of themed rooms emphasizes the exquisite beauty of the materials: from the large slabs hung like rich Persian carpets to the museum-like shelves which exhibit smaller size tiles that exemplify an endless collection of finishes, structures, surfaces and colors, each presented as a unique, unrepeatable object of great value. 

“There's a kind of magic in Marazzi's product design and development,” Patricia Viel explains. “Technology and creativity transform a generic and inert raw material into surfaces that evoke ancient workmanship, precious marbles, inlays, mosaic art and three-dimensional structures. To evoke this alchemy, the showroom project becomes a collector’s library, a Wunderkammer of colors and materials, a rug souk and a maze of rooms that form a constant visual sequence, yet are each different and surprising.”