Archive of September 2007

We are proud to announce the opening of the online DesignTaleStudio store.

The on-line e-commerce catalogue contains all of the DesignTaleStudio designs, and include the limited edition Gold and Platinum, while, in October, we will be adding the new works we will be showing for the first time at Cersaie 2007; the new collection will also include official DTS accessories for the correct installation on walls. The store, which at the moment, is only accessible from within the EU, accepts payment via PayPal, an easy and safe method which accepts all major credit cards. Delivery is free of charge (!) and goods arrive straight at your door by DHL.

A totally new initiative in the first sector: as far as we know, we are the first ceramic tile company to start an on-line BtoC sale channel. Of course 60×120 cm porcelain stoneware slabs don’t sell like books: there are many logistic obstacles to overcome, such as costs, size of packages and the risk of accidental damage during transportation. But we are convinced that e-commerce is a tremendous opportunity for a company such as ours and equally positive that the store can only grow.

In one of his recent articles Stefano Bernuzzi in Archinfo took stock of the current situation of architecture and design in the virtual world of Second Life. The article made us reflect a lot and now we strongly recommend it to every fan of architecture and architecture professionals.

After covering interesting competitions and experiments that took place recently, the article moves on to review the most common opportunities and problems featuring the metaverse. Firstly, Bernuzzi bemoans how only very few architects still have demonstrated a knack of capturing the potential of Second Life, in terms of experimental platform, where to introduce and test radically creative and innovative solutions; and, not to mention, in my opinion, the planning of virtual spaces destined to three-dimensional “experiences” which can only happen in the metaverse and cannot consequently be emulations and prototypes of the “real life”. Secondly, what we have seen so far hardly moves away from the archetype and concepts of “real” architecture, which are often based on destinations of use restrictions, actually disappearing in the virtual world to make room for other bonds. Nevertheless, the article unfailingly points out how in the “Linden Economy” (which, in reality is not all that “virtual”) architectural planning and the realisation of buildings is becoming one of the most sought-after and profitable activities and therefore prospectively highly competitive. In short, we need to get a move on.

In light of all this, we believe it essential for a company which produces architectural and building materials, such as ours, and in particular for its creative laboratory, which by definition is constantly striving to seek aesthetical innovation, to be open to the many opportunities of the virtual architecture. We need to force ourselves away from this traditional “material” culture and attempt a new conceptualization of the ceramic product that shifts from a tangible object (the “pallet” logic) to a pure aesthetic object (the “file” logic).

We have already spoken of the trust Refin and DesignTaleStudio have put into “metaverse architecture” as a platform for creative experimentation, as a test-bed to launch new products. Our very own “Meta Design” was our first “attempt” into the world of “virtual porcelain stoneware slabs” for wall cladding and flooring in Second Life. Our work carries on, parallel to the development of the “rendering engine” of the metaverse of Linden Labs: we are positive that new really innovative and useful solutions for “virtual architecture” will only be possible after the creation of truly convincing interior and exteriors. In the next few days we will share a few observations worked out during our experience in Second Life in the hope they will be helpful for all architects currently facing virtual worlds.

We would like to take the opportunity of the new Project section activation in the DTS web-site to speak about the Gallery Bar, a venue in Vicenza designed by the Arredi Costa Group, using the RDM slabs by DesignTaleStudio.

This project has really enthralled me with its richness, the blending of shapes and materials, its light geometries… . The Gallery of 650 square meters with over 200 seats hosting up to 600 people, is a multipurpose area which can be used as a cafeteria, a restaurant, a cocktail bar or even a music bar.

The customers access the building through a majestic glass façade which veils the interiors increasing the customers’ expectations: when entering the bar they immediately feel enshrouded in lights sounds and videos as if in a parallel universe enclosed within this marvelous case. Many lounge zones, one after the other, are dressed with unusual and amusing sofas, up to the restaurant area where the tables are set out in a dynamic way and separated from the main area by a glass wall so that even the people enjoying dinner in the restaurant can interact with the bar-room atmosphere and be part of the events while tasting a sumptuous meal and sipping a glass of wine.

In such a context the RDM slabs by DesignTaleStudio stand out as the surface of the bar: a huge “monolith” with ethnic and brilliant traits cleverly emphasized and made almost surrealistic by lighting. This provides evidence of the super-versatility of DesignTaleStudio slabs also for “unconventional” uses such as volumes covering. This project is the very statement of the importance of large size tiles: the flooring, in fact, is covered with 60×120 size tiles perfectly matching the Pareti - an unimaginable opportunity until quite recently, bearing witness to the research and technological innovation of the ceramic industry over the past few years.

If you’d like to enjoy a drink in this evocative venue, plan a trip to Vicenza at the Gallery, dinner & dance. Meanwhile, if you are happy to settle for some photographs “only”, feel free to visit the sheet in the Project section.