Riad Alhambra A-2

Riad Alhambra A-2 is an interesting side table characterized by a geometric pattern.. Its design is the result of a journey by designers and friends Alvaro Catalán de Ocón and Francesco Faccin. Both have known each other while studying Industrial Design in Milan and they had a parallel career for many years. They have exhibited their work together in many occasions and shared travels and experiences; building a strong friendship and a common vision and approach to the profession of the Industrial Designer.

During a visit to Marrakesh in 2014, the designers run across a workshop of cement tiles. There, they become fascinated by the manufacturing process and the strong visual expressiveness of this construction material. The cement tile was born in South Mediterranean Europe at the beginning of the 20th century as an industrialized evolution of the old mosaic or marble floors. Even so, it is now considered a highly artisanal process. Nowadays, its production has mainly moved to Morocco due to Europe’s high costs of hand labour.