Reimagining the coloured cement tile
A collaboration between Guan Lee, Stuart Piercy and Karim Chaya
Handmade in Beirut
dollop is a rethinking of the traditional coloured cement tile.
It is a collaboration between artist Guan Lee of Grymsdyke Farm (Buckinghamshire, UK), architect Stuart Piercy of Piercy & Company (London, UK), and designer Karim Chaya of BlattChaya (Beirut, Lebanon). It will be on view from 17—20 April 2023 at LABÒ Cultural Project, as part of Milan Design Week.
While patterns of coloured cement tiles are typically achieved via moulds, dollop takes the moulds away and instead uses a ‘dolloping’ technique to create an organic, fluid and pointillist pattern.
A traditional recipe of cement, sand and colour pigment is applied by hand in small viscous dollops onto a frame. The pattern builds over time as different tones are added and settle among one another. The resulting pattern is natural and unpredictable, guided by the trained movement of the maker and the fluidity of the material.
The dollop tile is entirely bespoke. The dimensions, colour palette and size of the dollop are set by the requirements of the project or client. Within these parameters, the pattern evolves based on a procedural relationship between material and maker.
dollop does not follow an exact pattern, and as such challenges our notions of decorative surfaces. The design is based solely on colour and texture, expanding our perspective on what is possible with a man-made material.
While a prime example of material innovation, dollop honours traditional making techniques, honed over four generations. The tiles also pay homage to Impressionist paintings—up close, these can look almost abstract, with dabs and dots of colour, but as the viewer moves away, the brushstrokes or dollops coalesce into a broader image. For instance, various red and white dots would be perceived as pink at a distance, while gradients of colour can suggest shadows.
Environment
Indoor / Outdoor
Suitable for walls and floors
Material
Coloured cement
Dimensions
The tile comes in 3 standard sizes:
20cm x 20cm x 3cm
30cm x 30cm x 3cm
40cm x 40cm x 3cm
(Custom sizes and shapes available)
Design
Four different dollop designs:
Mini dollop (choice of 12 colours)
Medium dollop (choice of 8 colours)
Big dollop (choice of 6 colours)
Dollop monochrome (one colour choice, different hues)
Production Process
BlattChaya’s commitment to using a traditional recipe for their cement tiles without excessive chemicals sets them apart from other tile manufacturers.
BlattChaya do not use plasticisers or chemical additives to speed up production, preferring instead to stick to the more difficult but authentic recipe. BlattChaya’s polishing process creates a protective layer that eliminates the need for chemical varnishes or artificial water-resistant coatings. With a thicker colour layer than most concrete tiles, they offer increased longevity and durability, making them an excellent choice for any project that requires high-quality materials. The natural recipe lets the tiles age gracefully and beautifully over time, without the use of any artificial interventions.
For further information please get in touch
hello@dolloptiles.com
Guan Lee
Artist Guan Lee is director of Grymsdyke Farm, a research facility, fabrication workshop and living-working space for architects, artists and designers in Buckinghamshire, UK. His practice explores the essential connections between processes of design, making and place. Key projects have included a permanent installation of 3D-printed tiles for the V&A South Kensington, London; and POLiROCK, a fired clay made of recycled manufacturing waste that can be used for furniture and everyday objects, including a lighting sculpture for Canadian label Gabriel Scott at Milan Design Week 2022. Guan holds a PhD in design from the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London, where he is now associate professor of architecture and co-founder of the Material Architecture Lab.
Stuart Piercy
Architect Stuart Piercy is the founding director of a London-based architectural studio Piercy & Company. Over two decades, the studio has developed a reputation for bold ideas, strong forms and carefully crafted buildings, including the expansion of a Grade II-listed chapel in west London’s Drayton Green, and the refurbishment of an art deco building on Savile Row into the offices of developers Derwent London. Its architectural models were the subject of a solo exhibition in Kings Cross in 2022. Stuart is a diploma unit master at the University of Westminster, where he champions design through material investigations and the making of physical artefacts. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Karim Chaya
Designer Karim Chaya is managing director of BlattChaya, a producer of traditional coloured cement tiles in Beirut, Lebanon founded by his great-grandfather in 1881. He works closely with his father Edgard Chaya, who revived the family business in 1996 after it had been dormant for half a century. While using time-honoured traditional ingredients, natural colours and hand motions, BlattChaya embraces innovation by working with contemporary creatives such as david & nicolas, Nada Debs and Carlo Massoud. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design’s industrial design programme, Karim founded spockdesign, dedicated to furniture and product design, as well as Abillama Chaya Industrial Design, which specialises in architectural detailing.
© 2023 dollop tiles, all rights reserved. Photography by Marco Pinarelli.
dollop is a rethinking of the traditional coloured cement tile.
dollop is a collaboration between artist Guan Lee of Grymsdyke Farm (Buckinghamshire, UK), architect Stuart Piercy of Piercy & Company (London, UK), and designer Karim Chaya of BlattChaya (Beirut, Lebanon). It will be on view from 17—20 April 2023 at LABÒ Cultural Project, as part of Milan Design Week.
While patterns of coloured cement tiles are typically achieved via moulds, dollop takes the moulds away and instead uses a ‘dolloping’ technique to create an organic, fluid and pointillist pattern.
A traditional recipe of cement, sand and colour pigment is applied by hand in small viscous dollops onto a frame. The pattern builds over time as different tones are added and settle among one another. The resulting pattern is natural and unpredictable, guided by the trained movement of the maker and the fluidity of the material.
The dollop tile is entirely bespoke. The dimensions, colour palette and size of the dollop are set by the requirements of the project or client. Within these parameters, the pattern evolves based on a procedural relationship between material and maker.
dollop does not follow an exact pattern, and as such challenges our notions of decorative surfaces. The design is based solely on colour and texture, expanding our perspective on what is possible with a man-made material.
While a prime example of material innovation, dollop honours traditional making techniques, honed over four generations. The tiles also pay homage to Impressionist paintings—up close, these can look almost abstract, with dabs and dots of colour, but as the viewer moves away, the brushstrokes or dollops coalesce into a broader image. For instance, various red and white dots would be perceived as pink at a distance, while gradients of colour can suggest shadows.
Environment
Indoor / Outdoor
Suitable for walls and floors
Material
Coloured cement
Dimensions
The tile comes in 3 standard sizes:
20cm x 20cm x 3cm
30cm x 30cm x 3cm
40cm x 40cm x 3cm
(Custom sizes and shapes available)
Design
Four different dollop designs:
Mini dollop (choice of 12 colours)
Medium dollop (choice of 8 colours)
Big dollop (choice of 6 colours)
Dollop monochrome (one colour choice, different hues)
Production Process
BlattChaya’s commitment to using a traditional recipe for their cement tiles without excessive chemicals sets them apart from other tile manufacturers.
BlattChaya do not use plasticisers or chemical additives to speed up production, preferring instead to stick to the more difficult but authentic recipe. BlattChaya’s polishing process creates a protective layer that eliminates the need for chemical varnishes or artificial water-resistant coatings. With a thicker colour layer than most concrete tiles, they offer increased longevity and durability, making them an excellent choice for any project that requires high-quality materials. The natural recipe lets the tiles age gracefully and beautifully over time, without the use of any artificial interventions.
For further information please get in touch
hello@dolloptiles.com
Guan Lee
Artist Guan Lee is director of Grymsdyke Farm, a research facility, fabrication workshop and living-working space for architects, artists and designers in Buckinghamshire, UK. His practice explores the essential connections between processes of design, making and place. Key projects have included a permanent installation of 3D-printed tiles for the V&A South Kensington, London; and POLiROCK, a fired clay made of recycled manufacturing waste that can be used for furniture and everyday objects, including a lighting sculpture for Canadian label Gabriel Scott at Milan Design Week 2022. Guan holds a PhD in design from the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London, where he is now associate professor of architecture and co-founder of the Material Architecture Lab.
Stuart Piercy
Architect Stuart Piercy is the founding director of a London-based architectural studio Piercy & Company. Over two decades, the studio has developed a reputation for bold ideas, strong forms and carefully crafted buildings, including the expansion of a Grade II-listed chapel in west London’s Drayton Green, and the refurbishment of an art deco building on Savile Row into the offices of developers Derwent London. Its architectural models were the subject of a solo exhibition in Kings Cross in 2022. Stuart is a diploma unit master at the University of Westminster, where he champions design through material investigations and the making of physical artefacts. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Karim Chaya
Designer Karim Chaya is managing director of BlattChaya, a producer of traditional coloured cement tiles in Beirut, Lebanon founded by his great-grandfather in 1881. He works closely with his father Edgard Chaya, who revived the family business in 1996 after it had been dormant for half a century. While using time-honoured traditional ingredients, natural colours and hand motions, BlattChaya embraces innovation by working with contemporary creatives such as david & nicolas, Nada Debs and Carlo Massoud. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design’s industrial design programme, Karim founded spockdesign, dedicated to furniture and product design, as well as Abillama Chaya Industrial Design, which specialises in architectural detailing.
© 2023 dollop tiles, all rights reserved
Photography by Marco Pinarelli