formafantasma turns volcanic lava into earthy tiles at milan design week

amsterdam-based design studio formafantasma explores volcanic lava as a building material, proposing a unique and innovative use for it. in collaboration with dzek they designed ‘excinere’, a refined collection of volcanic ash-glazed tiles made for both interior and exterior surfaces. the collection is exhibited during milan design week at via giulio e corrado venini 85.

image © delfino sisto legnani and marco cappelletti, courtesy of formafantasma and dzek

formafantasma designers, andrea trimarchi and simone farresin, were inspired by the landscape and culture of sicily. trimarchi grew up in the area, against the dramatic backdrop of mount etna and brought his observations forth for this project. they collaborated with dzek, a company that partners with designers to create original architecture materials and products, to bring their volcanic tiles to life.

image © delfino sisto legnani and marco cappelletti, courtesy of formafantasma and dzek

the novel material is naturally-occurring, self-generating, and abundant in the volcanic area. ‘excinere’ aims to further explore the possibilities and applications in design for volcanic lava. the collection also highlights the connection between humans and powerful forces of nature such as volcanos. after three years of exploding and imploding the research materials, the designers achieved the careful balance of porcelain, ash glazes, firing temperature and method to create their curated tile collection.

image © delfino sisto legnani and marco cappelletti, courtesy of formafantasma and dzek

the tiles come in two different sizes and five volcanic glazes ranging from a burnt yellow hue, to a dark brown and the shades in between. they can be used from kitchen counters and bathroom floors, to architectural facade cladding. the differing colors are created by mixing varying quantities, particle sizes and densities of volcanic matter. the result are five different shades of volcanic abstraction, imitating the dynamic landscape from which they originate. inherently all earth tones, the tiles can be mixed and matched because they belong to the same color family and same origin material.

image © delfino sisto legnani and marco cappelletti, courtesy of formafantasma and dzek

for milan design week, the designers clad a set of objects with their innovative tiles. the objects include a set of three steps, a pair of columns, a long platform and some elements on the walls. the volcanic-clad objects call attention to the colors and shiny effects of the tiles within the surrounding white space. they exhibit the tiles in the optimal way, lending inspiration to visitors in the space and other designers alike.