Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition, marking another record year of exceptional projects that push the boundaries of Italian tile design. This year’s competition follows the successful merger of two historic initiatives: the Design Competition in North America and Europe’s La Ceramica e il Progetto, which now operates in alternating cycles between continents.
Spanning three categories – Residential, Nonresidential and Design & New Applications – the competition drew a highly competitive pool of entries, with the international jury ultimately selecting five winners and three honorable mentions as recipients of this year’s awards.
The jury is chaired by Louisa Hutton, architect and founder of the Berlin-based practice Sauerbruch Hutton, and includes Domitilla Dardi, historian and design curator at MAXXI in Rome; Luca Molinari, architect and Professor of Architectural Theory and Design at the University of Campania; Steve Clem, principal at the Atlanta- and Tampa-based firm TVS; and Emilio Mussini, Chairman of the Promotional Activities and Trade Fairs Commission of Confindustria Ceramica. Projects were judged on overall design, sustainable attributes, the degree to which Italian tile enhances the setting, the amount of ceramic or porcelain tile from Ceramics of Italy member companies used throughout the project, and the quality of the tile installation.
This year’s standout projects include a 74,000-square-foot academic research building at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business designed by MGA Partners, featuring a sophisticated ventilated façade clad in 12mm large-format porcelain panels, along with a marine-inspired restaurant, Tikka Charcoal Grill by Olbos Studio, evoking an immersive underwater world through textured surfaces and vibrant, three-dimensional materiality.
On the residential side, a sustainability-driven hillside home by These Architects is enriched with colorful hues and expansive porcelain flooring, while Secter Architecture + Design’s hotel-inspired bungalow, Living Lounge, features clean, contemporary tile surfaces while blurring the line between indoor comfort and outdoor entertaining.
Additionally, 2020 Stradella, a Bel Air luxury property by DI Group and Adeet Madan Home Design, impressed judges with its extensive, innovative tile applications such as a cascading porcelain-clad pool waterfall, a porcelain induction cooktop, tile-wrapped islands, and unified flooring that flows from the interior to exterior.
Together, these winning projects reflect the latest design directions and technological advancements in ceramic and porcelain tile – from exterior cladding and ventilated facades to 3D textures, handcrafted aesthetics, bold color palettes, through-body veining, large-format materials and a strong emphasis on indoor-outdoor living.
“As a juror, it was a pleasure to review and award some truly outstanding design submissions. I was inspired by the many ways these designers and architects embraced the extraordinary attributes of the Ceramics of Italy materials in the creation of their innovative solutions. All the winning projects are worthy of a visit to appreciate their beauty,” adds Steve Clem, principal at TVS and competition juror.
The 2025 Tile Competition winners were announced during the Ceramics of Italy Press Conference at Coverings, the largest tile and stone exhibition in North America, held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Each winning firm presented their projects in front of an audience of design and trade media, tile manufacturers, and industry professionals.
As part of their prize, winners will also receive an expense-paid, CEU-accredited trip to Cersaie, the leading international exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings, taking place in Bologna, Italy from 22nd–26th September 2025.
