Designers and architects throughout the world have long admired Spanish craftsmanship. Tile, marble, brick and so many other materials are somehow miraculously transformed from their natural state into gorgeous works of art. But how? I set out to learn how this wizardry happens on a trip organized by ICEX, the Spanish Trade Commission.
Arriving in Madrid, our tour began at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Real Madrid was not playing but the stadium’s architecture—designed by L35—was the draw: a precise composition of steel, glass and technical ceramics. I had no idea of the engineering required to build the new structure.
The next morning, we headed to Casa Décor, Spain’s most important annual interior design event. Here, 124 companies, 47 architecture and interior-design studios and 21 artists and craftspeople have created almost 50 spaces showcasing products and materials. I was overwhelmed—and in heaven! To cap off that day we travelled to the Porcelanosa showroom, a brand well known to me, with a shop in Greenwich. But what I thought I knew was quickly replaced by awe in the breadth of their products and the size of this showroom. Everything from bath fixtures, stone surfaces, kitchens, faucets, showers, and a striking collection of precious stone slabs—one more stunning than the next—delighted me.
La Paloma’s design studio in Madrid shifted the focus to brick and opened a new appreciation for the material’s range. We then visited the company’s factory in Segovia, where we saw clay shaped into brick on an industrial scale (it’s the leading brick manufacturer in Europe). This same clay and stone have been used since the Romans, whose aqueduct of Segovia still stands today.
Our last stop was the Cosentino quarry, reaching the very source of the stone. Its white marble, extracted since Phoenician and Roman times, showed how ancient craft now works alongside advanced technology at its factory. We visited its research and development lab where it continues to innovate using ancient materials.
We ended our trip in Granada at the Alhambra, one of the best-preserved palaces of the Islamic world. In the Middle Ages, artisans used gypsum, glazed ceramics, water and marble to create a stunning architectural masterpiece: a self-contained city separate from the rest of Granada. A two-hour visit was not enough for me. I was entranced by the beautiful Moorish architecture. The gardens were in full bloom. Central courtyards held reflecting pools and fountains; the sound of water followed you throughout the complex. Marble from Cosentino was present in one of the courtyards; stained glass with vaulted ceilings gave the illusion of a higher being. The craftsmanship was enhanced by the materials that gave these structures their unique beauty.
I left Spain with a greater appreciation of the historic materials that continue to inspire and innovate architecture and design today.
