It was to make a little money during a long trip around the globe that Ivan Bornes left his backpack in Barcelona in his early twenties. It was there, with the famous manufacturer of artisanal tiles Mosaics Martí, that he stopped for a year to learn the basics of this ancestral art. A marriage, two children and years later, on a path that took him from Brazil to Finland, then to Quebec, he brings with him knowledge that was previously non-existent here.
We have to go back to the middle of the 19the century to see the first hydraulic tiles appear in Europe. Revolutionary for the time, they required only three raw materials – water, sand and cement – to which were added color pigments. But the magic really happens when these layers of aggregate are compacted under high pressure. This technique requires only a few materials, but above all, no cooking, which allows you to produce a product with unique large-scale patterns.
At the turn of the century, cement tiles experienced their golden age with the Art Deco movement and Catalan modernism. They feature as works of art in architectural jewels such as La Pedrera, the Sagrada Familia or Casa Batlló, three Barcelona works signed by the monumental Antoni Gaudí.
CREATIVE PHOTO COMMONS
The interior courtyard of Casa Batlló, in Barcelona, covered with hydraulic tiles made by Mosaics Martí.
The industrialization of ceramic manufacturing during the post-war period, however, heralded the decline of this product made by the hands of artisans. With the appearance of low-cost mass-produced tiles, the majority of craftsmen will be forced to throw in the towel.
Mosaics Martí, founded in 1913, is one of those which is still going strong today and which has ignited a passion in a young apprentice looking for adventure.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
The cement tiles are made one by one to order by HydroTuiles and are sold for $20 per square foot and $2 per additional color.
The modern revival of an ancestral craft
When he arrived in Montreal in 2019, Ivan Bornes was far from thinking that he would return to the profession of his youth. However, the absence of artisanal tiles on the Quebec market, where only one company imports them from Europe, is an invitation to revive this moment of life. He reconnects with his old internship supervisor and heads to Barcelona to refresh his knowledge.
Four years later, after importing his machinery and setting up his workshop, he officially launched HydroTuiles, which innovates by combining modern technology with ancestral craftsmanship. The traditional method uses metal molds that take days to make and can cost up to 1,000 euros ($1,450 CAN) per design. Thanks to 3D printing, Ivan Bornes can quickly create tailor-made canvases at a lower cost.
It is a rare privilege to have benefited from this transmission of knowledge and a favorable context in which to use it. By grafting technology into heritage, however, I manage to create a more accessible product.
Ivan Bornes, craftsman and founder of the HydroTuiles company
Moreover, the exchange of information with his mentors now goes both ways.
Making a hydraulic mosaic
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PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
After making his nylon cookie cutter, the craftsman places the colors on it.
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PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
A layer of fine sand is sprinkled on the surface to absorb the pigments.
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PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
The craftsman places the layer of concrete which makes up most of the structure of the tile.
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PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
Once compressed with a pressure of 150 tonnes, then unmolded, the tile is immersed in water for 24 hours.
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PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
It is finally left to dry for 28 days. It will then be ready to use.
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The HydroTuiles catalog already includes more than 100 patterns: organic, geometric, pop, ethnic, floral or figurative shapes, such as a barnacle design or a lily leaf. But one of the attractions of this technique is obtaining personalized tiles, made by hand and individually. This is what HydroTuiles’ customers are looking for, mainly made up of designers or architects charmed by the cement tiles seen elsewhere in the world.
Added to this uniqueness is the advantage of purchasing a durable and ecological product. As strong as concrete, hydraulic mosaics are weather resistant and can therefore be used outdoors without the pigments being affected by the sun or time. And since the colors are imbued deep into the stone, the tile can be sanded and polished to restore its original shine after years of use.
PHOTO TAKEN FROM DAVID KOHN’S SITE
The Carrer Avinyó apartment, in Barcelona, located in a triangular-shaped building like the Flatiron in New York, restored in 2013 with hydraulic tiles from Mosaics Martí by the English architect David Kohn, has won several international awards.
A snub to mass products
Since the early 2000s, hydraulic tiles have once again generated interest. In Europe, a new generation of artists is emerging, like those of César Bazaar in France, who are bringing it back to life from a contemporary angle. The Maitland & Poate workshop in England, for its part, breathes new life into old Catalan cement tiles which it recovers from construction sites and restores.
“I gave myself the objective, and even the mission, of making this product known,” says Ivan Bornes, who dreams of seeing this art flourish and of being able to train artisans who will create other workshops in Quebec. I really believe that there is a future for this craft and even more so with the contribution of 3D. Cement tiles escape mass consumption and respond to a human need for meaning and uniqueness. It’s rare to have a personalized product in the construction world. It is an art that touches the heart. »
Visit the HydroTuiles website