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EXPO 2015 Fitted out in JIKA Brand Colours

The Laufen CZ company is a partner of EXPO 2015. The Universal Exposition’s motto, “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”, which greatly emphasizes the careful use and conservation of life-giving water, is in perfect harmony with the focus of the entire product line of this traditional maker of bathroom furnishings. Laufen CZ’s JIKA brand is outfitting the Czech pavilion not only with sanitary ceramics but also with ceramic floor and wall tiles a new offering in the brand’s product range. During EXPO 2015 the JIKA brand is also the presenting the work of young designers arising from the JIKA ART project.

On 1 May 2015 the gates of EXPO 2015 will open in the north Italian city of Milan. The world’s fair runs until the end of October, thus for six months visitors will have the opportunity to visit the pavilion of the Czech Republic, which the Italian media has rated among the TOP 5, right behind the Italian pavilion. An important partner of the Czech representation is Laufen CZ and its JIKA brand. It is furnishing the exhibition space with sanitary ceramics from its Cubito and Cubito Pure design lines along with toilet facilities for people with disabilities from its Olymp series. The major world première here, however, will be from the JIKA brand’s newest product range: wall and floor tiles from its Whites and City collections.

The Czech exhibition covers an area of 1,362 m2, and exactly 726.8 m2 of JIKA brand tiles were laid here. White tiles measuring 25x40 cm from the Whites Brillo line cover almost 360 m2 of wall space. Selected for the flooring was the City series, which is exceptional for its cement-effect finish and availability in a wide range of sizes. In Milan the largest two sizes were used, 60x60 and 80x80 cm, in the colour anthracite grey. It is worth noting that only rarely do tile manufacturers offer the 80 cm2 format. The City series tiles are part of JIKA’s frost-resistant tile assortment and are a popular choice primarily for modern architecture. Its precision-cut design with rectified edges is ideal for minimizing gaps. 

JIKA wall and floor tiles, which have been part of the brand’s product range since the autumn of 2014, already account for a significant amount of Laufen CZ’s production. They are currently offered in twelve designs, with a further seven designs available as frost-resistant floor tiles.

The JIKA brand is represented at EXPO 2015 in still another, less traditional, way – through the JIKA ART project. The project engages the creativity of young artists, designers and architects to bring art into our bathrooms. The first product from the JIKA ART project is the Džber wash basin, which takes inspiration from historical vessels. Meant to be installed on a flat surface, it is already is being produced in a limited edition. The design by Barbora Vinařová arose from a collaboration between Laufen CZ and the Studio of Ceramics and Porcelain led by Maxim Velčovský at the Academy of Applied Arts (UMPRUM) in Prague.