The Cement Tiles of Fangorosa
Soft surfaces and refined soft colors, nuances and emotionality.
These are the Cementine (cement tiles) of Fangorosa.
The “caementum”
Mentioned as early as the works of Pliny the Elder and Vitruvius, concrete has been widely used in construction since ancient times. It was opus caementitium of Roman times, consisting of fragments of stone or brick mixed with lime, sand and water. In later centuries caementum retained its original meaning of “scrap stone.” Only later did it take on the meaning of all conglomerate (consisting of water, binder, sand and stone).
The birth of the Cementine
In the wake of the industrial revolution, with the ‘implementation of production processes related to large-scale consumption and the need to save costs, the fortunes of cement tiles began in the late 19th century. The raw material was easily available (Portland cement), simple and inexpensive, quick to set and durable. Originally, cementines were produced only in square form, the simplest format. But from there the proposal gradually grew to the production of the most articulated geometric shapes. Color is also an element that has evolved. We find them initially in solid colors entrusting the laying patterns with the decorative effect.
Why concrete and cement tiles?
Undisputed stars of the 1970s, they were overshadowed by the market supremacy of ceramic wall tiles. And now, after a 20-year hiatus, the clementine trend is back in vogue in the interior design scene. The practical and popular appeal of this material is entering the most sophisticated projects as an element of research and refinement.
Sicilian cement artisans: the Zagara and Sicano collections
Along the basin that includes Morocco and in Tunisia, a long tradition has developed on the decoration of cement tiles. In Italy, on the other hand, there has been a lot of work on industrial monochrome, but in Sicily something different is happening: local artisan traditions are developing a decorative current characterized by unique colors and combinations. Fangorosa, in its journey to find realities with which to collaborate, intercepted Sicilian cement artisans for a project with unusual colors and formats. The colors in the collection are refined and soft. Each monochromatic tile is different from the other.
Colors and formats of Fangorosa Cementines
Greens and blues for the new Sicilian cementine collection that Fangorosa has titled with the name the ancient Greeks used to call the people of this island, Sicanus. These are soft and refined monochrome cementines. The tradition is also renewed in the format, the classic hexagonal shape is scaled up to cm. 80×92, side 46.1. However, respecting the traditions, the production techniques remain unchanged, the cement is poured and dried outdoors for about six weeks.
With the Zagara collection, the citrus flower that is the symbol of Sicily, Fangorosa has chosen to reinterpret the decorative aesthetic, opting for the simplicity of geometric lines. It is in this way that two lines and a square magically connote surfaces of simple geometry and lightness.
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