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[love is warm] > intro | project | materials | interview |

`SLOW´, BUT WITH PIZZAZZ
project by Patrick Norguet
photo by Alessandro Paderni, Eye Studio
text by Anna Bernagozzi

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MATERIALS  In planning the facelift for the Sofitel Bellecour Hotel, designer Patrick Norguet selected the very finest of materials, produced with sophisticated techniques and designed to last over time. One example is the earthy tones of the porcelain stoneware from the Masterplan series by Lea Ceramiche. Covering the whole of the ground floor and the spa, these tone in perfectly with the warm shades in the carpets designed by Norguet for Catalan company Nanimarquina.
The designer used an extensive range of materials: from rolled sections in real hammered blackwood from French company Oberflex, to the coloured glass, the chrome-plated stainless steel panels and the bronze coloured ‘métro’ style mosaic tiles (with a diamond relief) chosen for the walls behind the reception desk (itself in coloured glass in a striking shade of yellow). The contrast produced by the juxtaposition of these materials creates an atmosphere with a distinctly welcoming, eclectic and stimulating feel.
But back to what is the real common thread running through the interior design of the hotel: the Masterplan tiles by Lea Ceramiche, covering the entire floor surface. It was the desire to create a harmonious effect across the whole of the floor area that led to this choice - explains Norguet - to give a real ‘mineral feel’ for the guests. The large format accentuates the sense of space and is easy on the eye. The choice of warm tones and clean lines means the floor becomes the common denominator for the whole hotel: with character but not overbearing, and in perfect harmony with the contrasts in the surrounding interior.
Norguet also settled on Lea Ceramiche tiles for the massage cubicles in the spa, where Haute Couture – a stylish tile in polished porcelain stoneware with a skin-like texture – gives a unique, luxurious feel to the walls.
Everything about the Sofitel-Lyon - the combination of materials, the attention to detail in the installation process – comes together to produce a congenial, evocative  environment, creating different moods in different areas. It was not mere aesthetics combined with the contemporary yet timeless quality of Lea Ceramiche that tempted Norguet. Their environmentally-friendly aspect also played a role.  The company, operating out of Italy’s ‘Ceramic Valley’ in Modena and part of the Panaria Group, has for some years now been committed to a policy of sustainability in its manufacturing process.

Lea Green  Painstaking, systematic monitoring of environmental impact at every stage of the production cycle and, more generally, the company’s global sustainable approach mean that Lea Ceramiche boasts a lengthy CV of eco-certificates both for their products (Ecolabel, Keymark, Unicertiquality, NF Upec, CE, CCC) and production processes. Registration by EMAS - the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme - is testimony to the standards of environmental excellence achieved at all their production sites (Reg. CE No. 761/01). Furthermore, since 2004, the environmental protection system on all Panaria Group production sites has been subject to annual ISO 14001 inspections. Lea Ceramiche is also a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and Green Building Council Italia, meaning that its products play a role in obtaining LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – certification, a rating system established by the U.S. Green Building Council now accepted as the international benchmark for the design, construction and management of high performance buildings. 

What role does the sensory element (the third ‘S’ conjured up earlier) play in sustainable design? A fundamental one. It will become the essential key to successful designs of the future, strengthening relationships such as that between the land and use of resources.  For the end user of a particular product, all this translates into an awareness of its entire life cycle (raw materials, production process, distribution, etc) and of its unique features, for example, how it can be disposed of at the end of its life cycle.
This traceability of a product on its journey from raw material to point of sale is the starting point for responsible, informed consumption. No-one can deny that getting pleasure out of something beautiful yet practical makes us all feel good; if we can also be sure that respect for the environment and for those who, directly or indirectly, helped to bring about this feel-good factor, was an integral part of the production process, then we feel even better.