What makes a company great in an increasingly unstable and rapidly changing global environment?
Like all complex questions, there is no single answer. Certainly one of the necessary peculiarities is to have a clear propensity to innovate; because innovation is the element of differentiation, competitiveness and success. A clear example of this is RAK Ceramics, one of the world’s largest ceramic manufacturing companies specialising in porcelain and ceramic wall and floor tiles, tableware, sanitary ware and faucets. The company, in fact, continues to pursue product and process innovation by proposing revolutionary hi-tech solutions in the sector. The Downtown Design Week in Dubai, the Middle East’s leading design fair held last November, was an exceptional opportunity for the company to present several new products and more. The event was a particularly suitable setting not only because of its international relevance, but also and above all because it is an event dedicated exclusively to the world of design and visited by interior designers and architects from all over the world. “The UAE is important to RAK Ceramics and we have chosen Downtown Design as a platform to showcase some of our most significant latest collections and technologies to date. RAK Ceramics has come a long way since our founding more than 30 years ago and we are excited to share these innovations with our loyal customers and partners in our home market,” says Abdallah Massaad, Group CEO of the company. “The introduction of our latest ceramic collections at this year’s Downtown Design reinforces RAK Ceramics’ position as a global provider of ceramic lifestyle solutions in the Middle East and around the world,” says Leonardo de Muro, Vice President of RAK Ceramics. Following the successful launch of the Bathroom and Surfaces collections in 2021, RAK Ceramics wanted to present the latest innovations of its research and development division on this occasion.
Protagonists of the scene are the new technologies, including Absolute Matt, an extraordinary technological breakthrough that makes it possible to obtain a surface without any reflection and an extra matt finish. Milano Stone is one of the collections available in this particular finish and reinterprets the natural stone of the Gre’ log in a modern key, blending perfectly with the extra matt finish. A further innovation in terms of manufacturing processes is Orbit 3Rs, a technology for which up to 95 per cent recycled materials are used, exploiting ceramic waste from multiple processes. This particularly virtuous production cycle results in high-performance surfaces that are extremely durable, heat-resistant, low-maintenance and suitable for high-traffic indoor environments such as hotels and commercial properties, as well as outdoor applications. This particular technology is used to create Creative Concrete, the collection in the concrete effect range that celebrates the ultimate expression of minimalism with its pure simplicity, adapting in a very versatile way to any environment, whether contemporary or minimalist, residential or industrial. This path of innovation and development in terms of technology and sustainability of the production cycle runs parallel to the pursuit of unique design that RAK Ceramics pursues with its most recent surface collections, developed to provide striking visual and sensory characteristics. The Metamorfosi collection ideally embodies this spirit, marking a significant turning point in the company’s creative journey and design capabilities. Inspired by shapes and colours derived from nature, Metamorfosi seems to know how to draw a portrait on large-format slabs of resin-effect spatulate porcelain stoneware, creating evocative wall decorations that blend into the interior design of residential or commercial environments. Starting with vibrant shades of blue, ivory and pink as basic colours, the collection develops geometric, floral or lush tropical leaf motifs, with stylised or extremely verisimilitude features that allow the environment to be characterised according to the taste and style of the furnishings and architecture. RAK Ceramics pursues an interdisciplinary approach by rendering the movements of the surface on the ceramic tile, as if made by hand with a spatula. From the idea of revisiting also originates the Dark Ink collection that takes up the concept of the Venetian
wrought floor combining the disorder of terrazzo granules with the harmony of black and white. Mosaic and black brick in a matt finish further add design and elegance to the collection. B-Materia, on the other hand, probes the concept of innovation by playing on the combination of different surfaces such as marble and stone to integrate at the same time into traditional and modern environments. The collection was awarded this year with the Archiproducts Design Award 2022, a prestigious international award celebrating worldwide design excellence. Last but not least, RAK Ceramics’ new products in the bathroom sector could not be missing: among the various collections, RAK-Cloud, designed by Giuseppe Maurizio Scutellà, embodies multiple facets of total black design. Changeable shapes, fluid lines inspired by geometric swirls, like clouds that lend themselves to multiple interpretations and play with light to create a soft and enveloping effect. One of the new collections is RAKDes, whose name and lines pay homage to the minimalist style of the Bauhaus school. RAK-Des includes, in addition to the sanitary ware, bowl and freestanding washbasin with very essential and minimalist lines.
For more information visit: www.rakceramics.com
