Crossville Introduces The Robert A. M. Stern
December 19th, 2007
Crossville, TN – Crossville® is pleased to introduce Building Blox, a new collection of Porcelain Stone® tile created in collaboration with internationally renowned Robert A. M. Stern Design.
In the tradition of architects from Frank Lloyd Wright to Alvar Aalto, Robert A. M. Stern’s design vision from the beginning has included not only buildings, but furnishings for interior spaces. For more than 20 years, his firm has been involved in product design, looking to historical tradition and technological innovation for inspiration. More recently, Robert A. M. Stern Design has collaborated with respected manufacturers in the architectural and interior furnishings industry to create a comprehensive design collection of complementary products: carpeting by Bentley Prince Street, furniture by David Edward, and wall coverings by Innovations, and now Porcelain Stone® tile by Crossville, Inc.
Ceramic and porcelain tile have been used to embellish and decorate buildings since ancient times. Two new designs for the Building Blox Collection acknowledge this longstanding and time-honored tradition: Urban Fabric and Greek Key are inspired by architectural decorative details and mosaic floor patterns typical of the classical tradition, yet at the same time crisp, clean and contemporary.
The third tile pattern in the collection, City Garden, starts with a traditional floral motif reminiscent of 19th-century wall covering, overlays it with a grid, and then jumbles and rotates the squares, to create a pattern that is organic and floral, yet also geometric and contemporary.
The Building Blox Collection comprises these three patterns and a coordinating solid, all of which are available in nine colors: White, Limestone, Wheat, Pistachio, Ice, Terra Cotta, Slate, Taupe and Black. The tile sizes of the patterns are 12'x12' and 18'x18'; with the solids in 12'x12', 18'x18' and 6'x12'. The patterned and solid-colored tile may be used in multiple size, color and pattern combinations for floors, countertops, backsplash areas or floor-to-ceiling “rooms of tile.” Coordinating solid-colored trim is available as a 4'x12' Bullnose, a 2'x12' Cove Base, and inner and outer corners.
Because it’s Porcelain Stone®, Building Blox is stronger than granite, refuses to scratch, stain or fade, never needs sealing or waxing, and cleans with just hot water.
“Crossville is honored to be able to work with Robert A.M. Stern Design, a firm that is known and admired throughout the world,” says Frank Douglas, Crossville’s vice president of Business Development. “The Crossville/Stern collaboration was a natural extension of the partnership we formed with Bentley Prince Street in developing Color Blox, Color Blox Mosaics and Color Blox Too – tile that coordinates with the Bentley Prince Street carpeting. And now, with the advent of the Building Blox Collection, a designer can go to The Robert A. M. Stern Collection Web site (www.ramscollection.com) and easily select complementary tile, carpeting and wall covering suitable for a corporate, institutional, healthcare, hospitality or residential setting.”
'An architect is only as good as his client, and the same is true of a design partnership with a product manufacturer,' observes Stern. 'Our collaboration with Crossville provides an opportunity to reinvent one of architecture's most time-honored components—decorative tiling.'
Crossville, TN – Crossville® is pleased to introduce Building Blox, a new collection of Porcelain Stone® tile created in collaboration with internationally renowned Robert A. M. Stern Design.
In the tradition of architects from Frank Lloyd Wright to Alvar Aalto, Robert A. M. Stern’s design vision from the beginning has included not only buildings, but furnishings for interior spaces. For more than 20 years, his firm has been involved in product design, looking to historical tradition and technological innovation for inspiration. More recently, Robert A. M. Stern Design has collaborated with respected manufacturers in the architectural and interior furnishings industry to create a comprehensive design collection of complementary products: carpeting by Bentley Prince Street, furniture by David Edward, and wall coverings by Innovations, and now Porcelain Stone® tile by Crossville, Inc.
Ceramic and porcelain tile have been used to embellish and decorate buildings since ancient times. Two new designs for the Building Blox Collection acknowledge this longstanding and time-honored tradition: Urban Fabric and Greek Key are inspired by architectural decorative details and mosaic floor patterns typical of the classical tradition, yet at the same time crisp, clean and contemporary.
The third tile pattern in the collection, City Garden, starts with a traditional floral motif reminiscent of 19th-century wall covering, overlays it with a grid, and then jumbles and rotates the squares, to create a pattern that is organic and floral, yet also geometric and contemporary.
The Building Blox Collection comprises these three patterns and a coordinating solid, all of which are available in nine colors: White, Limestone, Wheat, Pistachio, Ice, Terra Cotta, Slate, Taupe and Black. The tile sizes of the patterns are 12'x12' and 18'x18'; with the solids in 12'x12', 18'x18' and 6'x12'. The patterned and solid-colored tile may be used in multiple size, color and pattern combinations for floors, countertops, backsplash areas or floor-to-ceiling “rooms of tile.” Coordinating solid-colored trim is available as a 4'x12' Bullnose, a 2'x12' Cove Base, and inner and outer corners.
Because it’s Porcelain Stone®, Building Blox is stronger than granite, refuses to scratch, stain or fade, never needs sealing or waxing, and cleans with just hot water.
“Crossville is honored to be able to work with Robert A.M. Stern Design, a firm that is known and admired throughout the world,” says Frank Douglas, Crossville’s vice president of Business Development. “The Crossville/Stern collaboration was a natural extension of the partnership we formed with Bentley Prince Street in developing Color Blox, Color Blox Mosaics and Color Blox Too – tile that coordinates with the Bentley Prince Street carpeting. And now, with the advent of the Building Blox Collection, a designer can go to The Robert A. M. Stern Collection Web site (www.ramscollection.com) and easily select complementary tile, carpeting and wall covering suitable for a corporate, institutional, healthcare, hospitality or residential setting.”
'An architect is only as good as his client, and the same is true of a design partnership with a product manufacturer,' observes Stern. 'Our collaboration with Crossville provides an opportunity to reinvent one of architecture's most time-honored components—decorative tiling.'
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