Detail of Mater's glossy relief

Mater by Mutina — the sketch that stayed a sketch

Mutina

Patricia Urquiola

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Most decoration dies the moment it is finished; Mater refuses to finish. Its Segno patterns are a glossy relief «never completely defined» — a drawing that stays a sketch, alive on every tile — applied with an innovative glazing technique over earthy unglazed bases. Patricia Urquiola (2023) tells the origin story plainly: the collection «started from the floor of Mutina's meeting room» — artisanal tiles she and Massimo Orsini had been «obsessed with for years». Interior Design Magazine gave the result its Best of Year Award 2023.

The family has two souls: Uni — rectified unglazed porcelain in two bases, Beige and Moka, naturally tactile — and Segno, where «glaze becomes the true protagonist»: six variants — Bianco, Blu, Terra on the Beige base; Nero, Verde, Ocra on Moka. Three formats — 120×120 (the original slab), 60×60, 15×60 — and honestly separate numbers: Uni R11, DIN B, DCOF 0.62 for working floors; Segno R9 for dry interior floors and walls. Stain class 5, 20% recycled declared for LEED across all colours.

Where the sketch lives

Floor and wall, indoor and outdoor — with the golden rule: Uni underfoot, Segno in view — boardrooms, receptions, bathrooms with Uni in the shower tray and Segno on the walls. Datasheet and certificates download from this page.

Technical information based on data declared by the manufacturer.

Collection: Mater
Manufacturer: Mutina
Design: Patricia Urquiola, 2023 — Best of Year Award 2023 (Interior Design Magazine, Tile + Stone Flooring)
Material: Uni: rectified unglazed porcelain (BIa UGL) — Segno: rectified glazed porcelain (BIa GL); thickness 9 / 10.5 mm (0.35 / 0.41 in)
Formats: 120×120, 60×60, 15×60 cm (47.2×47.2, 23.6×23.6, 5.9×23.6 in) — skirting 3.8×60
Range: 2 Uni bases (Beige, Moka) + 6 Segno glossy-relief patterns (Bianco, Blu, Terra on Beige — Nero, Verde, Ocra on Moka)
Use: floor and wall — indoor and outdoor (Segno on floors: dry interiors only)
Declared values: absorption 0.06% — stain class 5 — frost and thermal shock resistant — chemical resistant — slip Uni: R11, DIN 51097 B, DCOF 0.62, Pendulum 50/40, P3 — Segno: R9, DIN A, DCOF 0.29, Pendulum 45/25, P2
Sustainability: 20% pre-consumer recycled across all colours (LEED 4.1, 04/2023); ISO 14000 and ISO 9001; body free of VOC and SVHC substances; EPD, HPD on request
Installation: 2 mm (0.08 in) joint with wedges, several boxes; double-spread adhesive on 120×120 — Packing: 120: 2 pcs (2.88 sqm) — 60×60: 4 pcs (1.44 sqm) — 15×60: 10 pcs (0.90 sqm)

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Documents and Catalogues

Mutina Catalogue Mater Catalogue Mater LEED® Credit Contribution Sheet Mater Technical Guide, Laying & Maintenance

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FAQ

What does «never completely defined» actually mean on the tile?
That the drawing keeps its freedom: the Segno relief is applied with an innovative glazing technique that leaves the pattern deliberately open - lines that thicken, thin and trail off, so no two compositions read identical and larger fields never fall into wallpaper repetition. It is the difference between a finished illustration and a living sketch - and it is why the surface rewards a second look, indefinitely. Underneath, the discipline is industrial: rectified edges, 0.06% absorption, stain class 5.
Where did the collection actually come from?
From a meeting room - literally: Urquiola tells it herself. The floor of Mutina's own meeting room was laid with artisanal tiles that she and Massimo Orsini «were obsessed with for years - they accompanied every product review». Mater (2023) is that obsession industrialised: «technology, experimentation, craftsmanship to the eye and to the touch». The name comes from materia - the earth of the neutral bases - and the American jury of Interior Design Magazine crowned the result Best of Year 2023 in Tile + Stone Flooring.
How do Uni and Segno divide the work?
By declared numbers, not by taste: Uni - the unglazed, naturally tactile base in Beige and Moka - carries R11, DIN 51097 class B, DCOF 0.62 and Pendulum 50/40: floors indoors and out, showers included. Segno - the glossy relief - declares R9, class A, DCOF 0.29 and a wet Pendulum of 25: fine underfoot in dry interiors (living rooms, boardrooms), but in bathrooms, wet zones and trafficked exteriors its place is the wall, where the glaze performs best anyway. The golden rule writes itself: Uni underfoot, Segno in view.
Is the 120×120 slab practical in a British project?
With the declared disciplines, yes: Mater was «conceived as a large-format slab» first - the 120×120 is the native format, not an enlargement - and the datasheet spells out its manners: double-spread adhesive, 2 mm joints with levelling wedges, material drawn from several boxes, two thicknesses (9 and 10.5 mm) to suit build-ups. The reward is the relief breathing across whole bays with minimal joints. For period-property floors with uneven substrates, the 60×60 and 15×60 formats carry the same surface with easier logistics.
Why does Mater come in two thicknesses, 9 and 10.5 mm?
To make levels meet: in refurbishment the 10.5 bridges existing floors without steps, while the 9 keeps walls and build-ups light; between a bathroom with its shower screed and the bedroom next door, choosing the right thickness per zone levels the thresholds - and underfloor heating in new-builds prefers the slimmer body. Packing follows format and thickness (the 120 in 9 mm ships 2 per box, 2.88 sqm) and La Mercanti computes it on the drawings. The file is ready behind it: 20% recycled for LEED, ISO 14000/9001, VOC- and SVHC-free body, EPD and HPD on request; sample costs credited at confirmation.

Keeping the sketch alive: Mater in five steps

Five steps for UK architects and clients: Urquiola's award-winner from boardroom to bathroom - two souls, one golden rule.

Start from the pair
Every Segno has its base: Bianco, Blu, Terra live on Beige; Nero, Verde, Ocra on Moka - floor and wall pre-tuned.
Apply the golden rule
Uni underfoot (R11, DCOF 0.62 - showers and exteriors included); Segno on walls and dry interior floors. Never the reverse.
Choose the scale
120x120 for slab-like bays, 60x60 for classic laying, 15x60 for rhythm: the formats share one room happily.
Respect the 120's manners
Double-spread adhesive, 2 mm joints with wedges, several boxes: the big format asks for discipline, not bravery.
Order by soul and format
Different packing per format (120: 2.88 sqm/box): La Mercanti converts the design into base and pattern quantities.

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