Revolutionizing Traditional Craftsmanship: Mewa Tiles by Adam Ankiewicz

Handmade Concrete Tiles Marrying Tradition with Modern Design and Innovative Technology

The Mewa tiles are a product of Ankiewicz's quest to create tiles that combine the traditional quality and uniqueness of handmade products with modern designs, shapes, and innovative technology. The designer's journey to achieve this goal involved gaining knowledge about materials and technology, experimenting, and finally specializing. The result is not just a modern cement tile, but a perfect tile that is both unique and exceptional.

What sets Mewa tiles apart is their decorative 3D design that expresses a feeling of movement and lightness in an uncomplicated form. Despite being made from heavy, solid material, the tiles visually give a feeling of a light paper form. When used to cover walls, they impart dynamism, movement, and lightness to the space. The tiles come in one shape but offer three possible configurations – PRISM, LYNX, and BUTTERFLY.

The production process of Mewa tiles is as unique as their design. All the molds used in the production are handmade, resulting in exceptional tiles. After removal from the mold, the tiles are transported to a high humidity compartment and then placed in a temperature-controlled chamber where they age for about a month. The tiles are then thoroughly cleaned, manually formed into the final shape, polished, and secured. The unique set of materials used in Mewa tiles is characterized by an innovative recipe, making them tough, with extremely low water permeability, and increased mass cohesiveness.

The interaction with Mewa tiles begins as soon as a person enters a space where they are present. The 3D aspect of the tiles means that they play with light, regardless of whether it is natural or man-made, morning, noon, or evening light. Every part of the tile reacts differently to the lighting conditions, offering a unique and different view every day. The tiles continue to excite and astonish their audience with an ever-changing and dynamic interaction.

The Mewa tiles had their official premiere at 100% Design in London in 2016 and were highlighted by the experts of the Institute of Industrial Design in Warsaw. They were also a finalist for the "Good Design 2016" for the best-designed products and services available on the Polish market. The tiles are the result of a trial and error process to find the best recipe to create a smooth, tough, and beautiful product. The idea was to make the perfect handmade tile using a mix of cement, sand, water, and color pigments. This led to a lot of experimentation with the materials and a final product that is extremely durable and innovative while retaining a delicacy that makes it hard to believe that it is a cement tile.

Adam Ankiewicz's Mewa tiles have been awarded the Silver A' Building Materials and Construction Components Design Award in 2017, a testament to their outstanding design and innovation. The tiles are a perfect example of how traditional craftsmanship can be revolutionized with modern design and innovative technology, creating a product that is not only unique and exceptional but also a work of art.