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The new ITC Headoffice
Since last September, the Institute of Ceramic Technology
(ITC), a prestigious Spanish ceramic research institute has
new a headoffice located at the Campus of the Jaume I University
of Castellón (Spain), which clearly shows the search
for new uses of ceramics in architecture.
The works of the new building, structured with three floors,
a semi-basement and pilot floor (with a constructed area of
6000 m2), were directed by the Technical Department of the
Jaume I University, which has also been in charge of the project
and design of the building.
 Besides
the ceramics of the exterior and interior paving and facing,
bathrooms, laboratories, research labs, etc. Two ceramic appliqués
of all the building stand out above all: a mural along the
main staircase and the decorations of the back façade.
The products of Spanish ceramic companies were used in their
elaboration: Stoneware from Nules, Fabresa, Saloni, Porcelanosa,
Venis, Porcelanatto and Taulell. Both the ceramic mural as
well as the back façade were designed by the Association
for the Promotion of Ceramic Industrial Design (ALICER) of
Castellón (Spain).
The objectives attained through these two appliqués
have been to distinguish the building with an emblematic ceramic
contribution, giving it an artistic mural character and, to
include a chromatic variable to a fundamentally monochrome
brick-faced work (a character that was defined in the overall
project of the Campus). The initial technical conditions were
to facilitate placement at the site and to work with industrialised
ceramic material.
The mural project, called SUNIÓN, answers to the proposal
to obtain a ceramic facing for the wall with the elevator,
surrounded by a raised spiral staircase. The mural, spread
out along the four floors, ends surrounding the frame of the
doors of the elevator.
The main façade is divided into three bodies that
display the interior organisation of the spaces. In the central
body, the entrance doors open and between them, a glass-like
mass in the form of a triangular prism was constructed to
protect the interior; at the same time it conjectures the
cylindrical shape of the core of the staircase.
The analysis of this mass as a pillar and articulating axis
of the entrances led to the study of different rhythms in
which a formal discourse could be developed; vertical or horizontal,
ascending or descending. The spiral rhythm marked by the raised
staircase was rejected in order to maintain the horizontal
division of the different floors, thus enhancing the mural
to look like a reality dependent on the structure into which
it was inserted.
 In
addition, the layout of the mural allows three views: a practically
complete view of the mural from the outside, a fragmented
view made easy by the course of the staircase and, a partial
view from the entrance to the floor itself.
The strong character of the geometrical figure together with
the light and the colour, are the starting point for the search
for elements that are part of the composition, until they
conclude enhancing the symbology of the column, as a pillar
of Mediterranean culture and a synthesis of balance, order
and measurement, as it is a building with a marked scientific
and academic nature.
Abstract disarrangements and figurative elements that symbolise
the development of daylight and pay homage to Mediterranean
artists, have been chosen for the design. In an effort to
maintain its current nature, references were looked for in
the works of contemporary artists: the surrealist abstraction
of Miró, the powerful strokes of Picasso, the luminosity
of Sorolla, the minimalism of Mompó.
 The
column has an ascending view that coincides with each one
of the levels: coinciding with the basement, the sea is outlined;
on the ground floor a picture of dawn is elaborated with the
chromatic palette of Mompó; on the first floor, Picasso's
dove gives way to the luminosity of midday and on the last
floor, Miró's star and moon light up the night. The
figurative elements of the star, the moon, the sun, the dove,
the arrow and the fish are interconnected like a tape, giving
the notion of Calder's spatial movement.
The selected tiles measure 5 X 5 cm. in 12 different colour
ranges, so as to allow colouring the backgrounds and outline
symbols. Likewise, in order to facilitate the placing of the
tiles, it was opted to work with a module of 8 x 8 meshed
tiles with a 2 mm joint, with different designs or repetitive
modules for each one of the backgrounds of each zone and the
central modules that reproduced the picture.
EThe layout of the pieces and the four angles (0º, 90º,
180º, 270º) was studied in the design process of
the modules for the creation of the four backgrounds, such
that a similar effect was obtained in any one of them and
to avoid the creation of identifiable and unnecessary symbols
in their repetition. A total of eleven modules were obtained:
four repetitive modules in which the colours that define the
light and space of each zone participate. In the strip of
the sea and of the night, these repetitive modules are combined
with other plain ones. In addition, 5 transition modules were
projected with the aim of interconnecting the different lights,
thus avoiding abrupt breaks.
A total of 268 different modules with the same basic characteristics
as the ones before were used to define the picture: 5 x 5
cm tiles of twelve different colours, netted in modules of
8 x 8 tiles. This is Sunión in figures: 196 m2 of tiles,
708 modules, 279 different modules, 45,312 tiles of 5 x 5
cm. And 28,320 of mesh.
The project of the back façade called SIGNOS, is divided
into three bodies like the main façade. The central
body is subdivided into four different bays by means of three
pilasters. Several windows open in the pilasters on the first
and second floors, giving way to eight large panels measuring
314x216 cm.
Allegoric symbols are inlaid in them. On the first floor,
the symbols selected are four elements that represent different
areas of work of the institute: raw materials, floor and wall
tiles, artistic ceramics and service ware. On the second floor,
they chose elements that are used in ceramic processes: air,
earth, fire and water.
The material used is porcelain stoneware of different colours
that are in harmony with the symbols that they represent.
These symbols are made by means of computerised hydraulic
cutting, whereby they are inserted without joints in the central
tiles of the panel. The tiles are marked by means of a vectorial
programme and the information is transmitted digitally.
In the layout of the mosaic tiles, it has been borne in mind
that they do not coincide with the mesh of the joint of the
base tiles, and they have been laid out inside a 3 x 3 tile
module.
Pts. 620 million were invested in the ITC building, of which
70% came from the regional development fund (ERDF), of which
the European Union and the Administration of Valencia itself
participated 70% and 30% respectively. The remaining 30% was
financed with funds of the institute, obtained from research
carried out over the past years.
The President of the Generalitat Valenciana officially opened
the building on 24 January 1997.
History of the ITC
Since 1969 the Institute of Ceramic Technology (ITC) has
been contributing towards the technological evolution of the
ceramic industry. The seed of what is currently the ITC was
gestated in the bosom of the University of Valencia under
the name of Institute of Technical Chemistry. This Institute
was founded with the aim of offering technical support to
the industries of the Community of Valencia, although six
years later all its activities were centred exclusively on
the ceramic sector.
In 1984 the Ceramic Industry Research Association (AICE)
was founded in response to the growing interest that the activities
of the Institute aroused in the companies of the sector. The
Association and the University Institute entered into a collaboration
agreement, whereby both institutions would share premises,
equipment and staff.
It was in 1992 that a common image was adopted by both institutions
and they became the Institute of Ceramic Technology (ITC).
Initially the activities of the Institute were carried out
in the basements of the old Faculty of Science at Paseo al
Mar. Subsequently in 1979, the Institute was transferred to
the new Faculty of Chemical Science at the Burjassot Campus.
In 1984, some of the activities of the ITC were commenced
at the new building of the University College of Castellón.
Finally, and after a brief pass through the premises of the
Valencia Business Centre in 1992, all the staff and equipment
of the Institute were transferred to Castellón, in
order to ensure more direct and efficient contact with the
major subsectors of the Spanish ceramic industry, whose companies
are chiefly located in the province of Castellón.
Until the month of August of this current year, the Institute's
laboratories were located at the University Campus on the
Borriol Road of the Jaume I University, where its staff and
equipment was dispersed over four different floors and in
distant buildings, due to a lack of space.
From September of this year, the activities of the ITC are
being carried out in a new building located on the Riu Sec
University Campus, that has been financed with ERDF funds
and funds belonging to the IUTC.
Areas of action and activities
The main areas of action of the ITC are: raw materials, manufacturing
processes and finished products. These areas entail the following
areas: research, development and technological counselling,
technology transfer, technological training and services.
Research and Development and Technological
Counselling
In collaboration with companies of the ceramic sector, the ITC
carries out a number of Research and Development and Technological
Counselling activities directed towards improving the quality
of products and manufacturing processes.
The needs of the ceramic sector are observed by the ITC technicians,
who are constantly in touch with the reality of the industry,
as required by their tasks of Technological Counselling. As
a result of this counselling, the priorities of the Research
and Development are fixed and the research projects that are
carried out with the different companies are established.
Thus, Research and Development and Technological Counselling
are considered to be a single activity directed towards the
creation of new ceramic products, to improve the existing
ones, to better know the stages which comprise the manufacturing
processes and the design of new appliances and/or manufacturing
procedures.
Technology Transfer
Aware that the companies of the ceramic sector cannot generate
all the technology they require, the ITC has enhanced the technology
transfer activity, understood to be the exploration, assimilation
and implantation of new technology used in other manufacturing
processes.
Technology transfer began when the need for certain technology
was observed in companies of the ceramic sector. Thus, they
proceeded to grasp new ideas from fairs and technology forums,
visited companies of other industrial sectors, consulted databases,
scientific articles and technical magazines, etc.
If the technology found does not require to be previously
adapted to the peculiarities of ceramic processing, it is
directly transferred through the technological counselling
services of the ITC. In the majority of the cases however,
the technology cannot be directly incorporated into the sector,
which is when the research and development activities are
required, to adapt the technology concerned to the needs of
the manufacturing processes of the ceramic industry.
Training
Since it was established, the ITC has considered the training
of technicians of the sector and its own staff, to be a priority,
due to the inevitable need to be up to date in their knowledge.
In order to fulfil this function, seminars and conferences are
organised and held at the Institute itself, and courses and
training activities are given outside the Institute.
With the aim of spreading the knowledge obtained from the
research carried out at the ITC, training activities are organised
for people with technical responsibilities at different companies,
thus helping to increase their knowledge and in the end, the
quality and competitiveness of the final product.
The Institute's link to the Jaume I University is specially
strong as regards training, given that 18 lecturers of the
Chemical Engineering Department carry on research activities
at the Institute.
Since 1989, technicians at the Institute have been lecturing
on Industrial Chemistry at the Faculty of Chemical Science
of the Jaume I University. In addition, since 1993 they also
give lectures on Ceramic Technology at the School of Chemical
Engineering of the University of Castellón. Mention
must be made that the latter is the first degree with ceramic
subject matter that is granted in Spain.
Technological Services
The technological services offered by the ITC may be divided
into four areas: analyses and testing, finished product laboratory,
quality guarantee and information and documentation.
The ITC has the appropriate scientific instruments and qualified
human resources required to carry out most of the analyses
and testing requested by companies of the ceramic sector.
The finished product laboratory is accredited by the National
Certification Entity to carry out standardised testing on
ceramic tiles, ceramic materials for construction and sanitary
ceramic appliances.
It is the undertaking of the Quality Guarantee Unit to ensure
the implantation and maintenance of the ITC Quality System
and divulge, counsel and support the implantation of ISO 9000
quality systems in the ceramic industry.
The Information and Documentation Unit covers the information
needs that arise inside and outside the Institute, as a result
of the scientific, technological, teaching and training activities
carried on. To do this, all the documents published in the
field of ceramic technology are selected and compiled. Likewise,
a documentary service is offered through a quarterly publication
that includes the table of contents of the magazines received
at the ITC documentation centre.
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