Close view of the Azulej Trama pattern by Mutina

Azulej by Mutina — the 2012 classic that outlived the cement-tile craze

Mutina

Patricia Urquiola

Azulej Estrela Black
Azulej Estrela Black An icon of Italian design
£ 222

What did you have in mind?

Trade terms for professionals and design studios

Design history is unkind to decorative tiles: most patchwork collections launched in the 2010s have quietly disappeared with the trend that made them. Azulej did the opposite. Designed by Patricia Urquiola for Mutina in 2012, it collected the Wallpaper* Design Award 2013 and the Interior Innovation Award 2014, and is still in production today — the reference the imitations are still measured against.

The reason is substance. Azulej revisits the memory of hydraulic cement maiolica in rectified glazed porcelain, 20×20 cm, decorated with cold digital printing over four layers of texture: unsaturated, slightly worn colours that fix to the body in a deliberately irregular way — the manufacturer calls the result almost material-like. Three base colours — Bianco, Grigio, Nero — carry 27 patterns conceived for random combination, plus nine single-use patterns per colour with Portuguese names: Gira, Estrela, Trama, Prata, Trevo, Renda, Flores, Cubo, Diagonal.

A classic, specified like one

Declared use covers floor and wall, indoor and outdoor: water absorption 0.04%, stain resistance class 5, Mohs hardness 6, frost resistance, slip rating R9 with DCOF 0.62 — manufacturer data. A dedicated 4.7×20 skirting finishes the system, with a 2 mm joint set on spacer wedges and suggested grouts grey 76 or black 74. Product certificates can be downloaded from this page.

Technical information based on data declared by the manufacturer.

Collection: Azulej
Manufacturer: Mutina
Design: Patricia Urquiola, 2012
Material: rectified glazed porcelain stoneware with digital printing, UNI EN 14411 App G (BIA) GL
Format: 20×20 cm (7.9×7.9 in) — 9 mm (0.35 in) thick — work size 196.3×196.3 mm (7.7×7.7 in)
Colours and patterns: Bianco, Grigio, Nero — 27 combination patterns + 9 single patterns per colour (Gira, Estrela, Trama, Prata, Trevo, Renda, Flores, Cubo, Diagonal)
Trims: skirting 4.7×20 cm (1.9×7.9 in)
Use: floor and wall, indoor and outdoor
Declared values: absorption 0.04% — stain class 5 — Mohs 6 (EN 101) — R9 (DIN 51130) — DCOF 0.62 — resistant to frost, thermal shock and chemicals
Sustainability: LEED 4.1: 8.6% recycled (Bianco), 15.8% (Grigio, Nero); ISO 14001; EPD, HPD, VOC on request
Awards: Wallpaper* Design Award 2013, Interior Innovation Award 2014
Installation: 2 mm (0.08 in) joint with spacer wedges — grout grey 76 / black 74 — Packing: 24 pcs/box (0.96 sqm), combination 27 pcs (1.08 sqm), 25 pcs/sqm

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Documents and Catalogues

Azulej Catalogue Mutina Catalogue Azulej Technical Datasheet Azulej CAD & 3D Files

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FAQ

What actually made Azulej survive when the cement-tile trend faded?
Authorship and restraint. Urquiola did not decorate a tile; she rebuilt the memory of hydraulic cement maiolica with unsaturated, slightly worn colours and 27 patterns designed to be mixed at random - the manufacturer's own combination box does the balancing. Two awards in two years (Wallpaper* 2013, Interior Innovation 2014) certified it early; a decade of continuous production did the rest. Trends copy it, which is the surest sign it is not one.
How do I specify it - one line for the patchwork, or pattern by pattern?
Both routes exist. The combination is a single reference: a 27-piece box (1.08 sqm) containing all 27 patterns, laid alternating from several boxes. For controlled designs, each colour offers nine single patterns - Gira, Estrela, Trama, Prata, Trevo, Renda, Flores, Cubo, Diagonal - orderable individually. Field tiles in plain Bianco, Grigio or Nero and the 4.7x20 skirting complete the system.
Is it practical on floors in a working office?
The declared data say yes for interior representative floors: Mohs hardness 6, stain class 5, absorption 0.04%, chemical resistance, and R9 with DCOF 0.62 for slip. It is not the product for a wet ramp - and the honest datasheet on this page lets the designer draw that line. The manufacturer's one practical warning: grit is the enemy, so put a mat at the entrance.
Can it go outside - a London courtyard, a roof terrace?
Declared use is floor and wall, indoor and outdoor, with frost resistance to ISO 10545/12 and thermal-shock resistance to ISO 10545/9 at 0.04% absorption. The patchwork that lines the washroom can therefore continue onto the covered terrace - one drawing across the threshold.
What about cleaning a decorated surface - does the print wear off?
The print sits under a glaze tested to class 5 for stains and declared resistant to chemical attack; cleaning is a neutral detergent in water. What the manufacturer rules out is acids, alkalis, waxes and steel scourers - not because the graphics are fragile, but because that is how any glazed porcelain keeps its finish. Samples come through La Mercanti, with the cost fully credited at order confirmation.

Specifying a modern classic without turning it into wallpaper

Five steps for architects and clients using Azulej across washrooms, receptions and break areas - dosage first, drama second.

Decide the dose before the pattern
One combination wall with plain field tiles reads curated; five patchwork walls read theme-park. Choose where decoration earns its place: washroom, reception front, break area.
Pick your compositional route
Combination box for the balanced random mix, single patterns - nine per colour - for controlled geometry, plain bases for calm. All three can share one room.
Write the declared numbers in
Absorption 0.04%, stain class 5, Mohs 6, R9 with DCOF 0.62, frost resistant - straight from the datasheet downloadable on this page.
Sample all three colours together
Bianco, Grigio and Nero are unsaturated and slightly worn by design; judge them side by side in the room's light. Sample costs are fully credited at order confirmation.
Lock the system details
2 mm joint on spacer wedges, grout grey 76 or black 74, dedicated skirting, boxes alternated during laying: La Mercanti coordinates quantities and the laying scheme with your contractor.

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