Huguet Huguet x Pentagram

Seven partners from Pentagram’s London and New York Studios have joined forces with Astrid Stavro and Mallorcan artisan hydraulic tile, cement and terrazzo producer Huguet to create a unique collection of tiles and objects.

Ranging from tiles that gently shimmer in the dark to a coffee table with millions of different combinations, all the pieces are on show for the very first time as part of this
year’s LDF.

Established in 1933 and now run by Biel Huguet, the company has its roots firmly in Mediterranean culture, taking inspiration from its architecture, materials and light. Huguet’s hand-crafted pieces represent a new, more sustainable take on luxury, with each tile slightly different to the next. At its workshop in Campos in the south of the Island, terrazzo and cement tiles are created in small batches using handmade production methods. Huguet is keeping these skills alive, by matching these traditional production methods with the very best contemporary design.

In a project originally conceived by Astrid Stavro, seven partners who joined Pentagram in the last seven years (Jody Hudson-Powell, Sascha Lobe, Giorgia Lupi, Jon Marshall, Luke Powell, Yuri Suzuki and Matt Wiley) were invited to create innovative and unexpected objects using Huguet’s traditional production methods and materials.

Specialising in graphic, information, industrial and sound design, the designers all work in the digital realm. The Huguet x Pentagram project allowed for a focus on materiality and craft, and a new methodology for approaching the process of design. The results of the collaboration are playful and surprising, with an intriguing collection of pieces that effortlessly blend thoughtful, modern design with traditional craftsmanship and local, sustainable materials.

Astrid Stavro explains: “The first time I visited Huguet’s HQ was a moment of joy, magic and inspiration. Biel’s understanding of design and his commitment to emphasise tradition with innovation through collaborations with designers and architects such as Herzog & de Meuron, David Chipperfield and Alfredo Haberli has made him a household name in Mallorca and around the world. By incorporating technical and aesthetic improvements over the years, Huguet’s work has achieved the perfect balance of craftsmanship, sustainability, quality and innovation, managing to shift and grow with the times. ”

Biel Huguet adds: “This is an extraordinary project for Huguet. Putting together contemporaneity with tradition, global with local, and international designers with Mediterranean artisans has always been essential for us, and this collaboration is one of the best ways we could have done it. We have shared views to blend cultures, to foster diversity and, at the end, to contribute (with a lot of humility), to make a world a little bit richer, a little bit more human, a little bit better.”

Modular Tile System by Sascha Lobe

This flexible tile system has 18 different modules and is inspired by Le Corbusier’s ideas about modules and his use of colour and material. The concept is based on typographic elements that can be arranged into a myriad of mosaics or written words. Countless patterns and designs can be created by arrangement, providing complete decorative and creative liberty. The typographic undercurrent pushes people – whether interior designers, typophiles, architects, homemakers or decor hobbyists – to see tiles from both an ornamental and systematic perspective. The patterns, letterforms and phrases from the modular tile system can be fully bespoke to the homemakers’ needs. This system can also be easily utilized for signage on buildings both internally and externally. The modular font »Le Corbusier« was first introduced as a motion projection on the Corbusier building in Stuttgart, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Weissenhof Estate from 1927.

24 Preludes by Giorgia Lupi

These tiles are data visualizations of Frederic Chopin’s famous 24 Preludes, which the composer wrote while living in Mallorca from 1838-1839. The twenty-four short pieces
for the piano were written in each of the twenty-four keys. Each tile visualizes one of the 24 compositions, with different shapes and colours representing musical characteristics such as major or minor key, tempo, and length. The design fuses the math-based nature of musical notation with the lyrical experience of actually listening to each piece.

Steno by Luke Powell

Inspired by the geological process of stratification, Huguet and Luke experimented with building up coloured layers of the normally unseen tile base substrate, and then grinding back parts of the surface to reveal the layers underneath. Five variations of the tiered tiles have been created with either a raised layer (traditional white tile surface) or/and a recessed layer (revealed substrate), each revealing varying amounts of the material beneath. Based on Unicode ‘Block Elements’, the graduating tiles form a simple modular system that can be reconfigured in any number of ways.

RE Tiles by Astrid Stavro

Huguet’s work is a reflection of Mediterranean culture, tradition and values. The RE Tiles celebrate the beauty and heritage of the Mediterranean as well as Huguet’s relentless commitment to innovation and sustainability. Focusing on creating awareness on sustainability and climate change, the tiles are an ongoing series of experimental tiles based on recyclable materials endemic to the Mediterranean.

Posidonia tiles

Known as “the lungs of the Mediterranean”, Posidonia Oceanica is one of the world’s most powerful, natural defences against climate change, playing a key role in preserving the marine ecosystem.

The Posidonia tiles create awareness around the endangered underwater meadows of Posidonia seagrass surrounding the Balearic Islands. The tiles are made using two parts of the posidonia plant: the dry, ribbon-like posidonia leaves and pieces of Neptune balls (bundled seagrass fibre) found washed up in Mallorcan beaches. The area between Mallorca and Formentera was designated a world heritage site by Unesco over 20 years ago, and is now in decline from excessive tourism, fishing, shoreline construction, boat anchoring and rising temperatures. This is driving the posidonia meadows to destruction at speed, with dire repercussions for our ecosystem.

Cork tiles

The Cork tiles are made with recycled cork. The trees grow mainly in the Mediterranean region (which produces more than 80% of the world’s total cork production). A natural material used by humanity for over 5000 years, cork is fully biodegradable and 100% recyclable.

Totem by Yuri Suzuki

Totem is a playful exploration of the 3D aspect of Huguet’s tile material, and its colour, texture and pattern. An interrogation of Huguet’s material led to the creation of a series of tactile pieces which can be assembled in many different ways to create cute, doll-like figures. It’s fun to build them (and take them apart), and the tactile nature of the parts gives us a better understanding of the material and how it might be used. This project was a big challenge for Huguet, but has resulted in a series of objects that demand to be picked up and played with.

Writing Desk and Coffee Table by Matt Willey

Writing Desk

A cement desk with a wooden base that creates a pinboard area and a shelf within its bracketed form. The vertical face of the desk has a grid of 39 iron circles allowing the user to ‘pin’ items (postcards, notes, etc.) using magnets. The iron circles will oxidise and change colour — age — over time.

Coffee Table

A cast cement coffee table with a top composed of handmade Huguet tiles. Each of the 16 tiles can be rotated, removed and swapped out to create a nearly infinite number of compositions, making the table an ever-changing installation. The ability to remove the tiles encourages the owner to collect different sets of tiles created by artists in ongoing collaborations with Huguet. We created something that could last a lifetime, stand up to the wear and tear of growing families and multiple moves, and is not stagnant but rather dynamic by its very nature.

Coffee Table Tile Packaging

Just as the design of the coffee table pushes back against a culture of trends and disposability, the packaging design also prioritises sustainability. The plywood box features a reversible lid to hide the shipping label and an elegant malefemale configuration that allows the two boxes to be seamlessly stacked. The biodegradable wool batting used to protect the tiles in transit can be reused for ongoing tile storage, as mulch in the garden or can even be composted. Each face of the box is screen-printed with a simple shape reminiscent of the designs on the tiles themselves. When the boxes are stacked, the shapes align in various ways to create unique compositions. The result is a durable and beautiful object that earns a place in the home and can be used for a lifetime.