Design | MUT’s “Onza” Tiles Take their Look from Chocolate Bars

We profiled tiles by Spanish design studio MUT just a few issues ago. Scales, tiles that rise from the surface of the wall to create the illusion of brightly colorful fish scales, was a finalist for Wall Tile of the Year at the 2015 TTA Awards. We have another one of MUT’s projects that approaches similar ideas. “Onza,” which was manufactured by Peronda, create patterns that rise off the wall. They’re not as colorful as Scales, but they give users more freedom with assemblage. Inspired by bars of chocolate, these tiles come in three designs that link together for any conceivable number of visual effects.

The varieties include grids of small squares, larger rectangles or a large square joined by narrow rectangles, all of which look like they could be snapped off from the others, like the candy bars they invoke. Each tile can fit in cut-out sections of the others, meaning that these can be swapped in or out to suit one’s vision for a wall. The set was designed by studio founder Alberto Sánchez. The patterns come in grey, terracotta, and white ceramic. Sánchez said of his conceptual project:

Onza is composed by just three ceramic pieces with invisible joints, allowing infinite compositions when assembled thanks to their modularity. It is possible either combining repeatedly one of the pieces or playing with the three options. Each and every one of MUT Design’s ceramic tiles misses a tiny bit so when they get together, both pieces fuse one into another shaping a wholly new and unique element.

Mut was founded by Alberto Sánchez in 2010. The studio states that they love nature and craftsmanship and seek reinvention through their work as they attempt to give everyday elements new forms of expression. In addition to the award for Scales, the team also won a Red Dot Design award in 2014 for product design, and their Nautica Chair was a finalist in the Best of the Year Awards for outdoor seating in 2013. They’ve exhibited in Stockholm, Maison & Objet Paris, Toronto, and Hong Kong, among other cities.

Do you love or loathe this concept in contemporary ceramics? Let us know in the comments.