Hafary’s new retail floor is a fantastical dream space where the design possibilities that can be had with large format porcelain tiles are brought to life.
21 September 2021
Top image: Entrance Pavilion at Hafary Gallery
Text by Janice Seow
Shopping for tiles is often a very transactional experience, but the newly expanded Hafary Gallery at Eunos looks to change that – big time.
Designed by Park + Associates, the new 20,000-square-foot retail space is set on the third floor of Hafary Gallery. It’s made up of a series of highly unique and imaginative environments where homeowners and designers can touch, feel and experience Hafary’s large format tiles, and better understand the many different ways that they can be applied in interiors.
Entrance Pavilion. The patterned, see-through screen is Sun Breaker from Ceramica Ferres
According to Jackson Tay, Hafary’s Chief Operating Officer, the new expansion is part of the company’s continued commitment to “showcase the latest in surfacing trends and technology from around the world”. Notably too, it “features materials in true-to-life environments to enable customers in the visualisation of their own home or space.”
Hafary’s latest offering of large format porcelain slabs span up to 3.2 metres in length. These create a more seamless effect when applied on surfaces, because being way larger than standard tiles minimalises grout lines.
Entrance Pavilion, with tranquil corners waiting to be discovered
The retail space is designed as a spectacle to engage the imagination and demonstrate the beauty of these large format tiles. Visitors meander through themed spaces in a fantastical journey that is hyper surreal and almost dream-like. The introduction into this world and the first stop in the journey is the Entrance Pavilion, which exudes a tranquil and zen-like atmosphere. Patterned brick-like panels from Ceramica Ferres reflect down onto floors that are made to look like shimmering water.
Wall of Tiles, featuring tiles by Italian brands ABK and Ornamenta
Further in, Wall of Tiles is a whimsical jungle where towering animal sculptures stand alongside large panels of nature-inspired tiles. The latter are displayed as standalone pieces of art, thus demonstrating the lesser-known possibilities that can be had with tiles.
The Villa is a handsome space for indulgent bathing rituals
The journey continues, with winding paths, hide and seek display arrangements, and the interplay of light, shadow and colours at every turn evoking a sense of mystery, curiosity and discovery.
The Villa, with wall in Bianco Carrara marble from Salvatori, and floor in porcelain tile from Mirage. The screens are also large format porcelain tiles from Mirage that have been fabricated into strips and arranged as a curved structure
Every space delivers a different experience. The Villa is a warm and handsome bathroom sanctuary with combinations of tile and stone, The Mansion is done in a classical baroque style and features tiles with dramatic textures and veins, and The Apartment presents a more trendy and contemporary aesthetic. There are also the Hotel and Retail spaces, which emulate vibrant commercial environments.
The Villa, with vanity, drawers and basins in sintered stone, from Lapitec. Porcelain floor tiles are from Atlas Concorde
At the centre of it all, The Plaza is a place where visitors can sit down to contemplate and discuss different tile options, or simply take a break.
The Mansion is a dramatic space. It’s wine cellar features sintered stone flooring from Lapitec, and the feature wall is a marble display from Antolini
Jackson explains that a key objective was to show how, apart from walls and floors, large format porcelain tiles could be used on furniture such as vanity and countertops, custom benches and even on the facades of kitchen carpentry. Not to mention they could be works of art, too.
The Mansion, featuring a luxurious quartzite headboard from Antolini, feature wall made of porcelain tile from Unicom Starker, and porcelain tile flooring from FAP Ceramiche
“We believe that the concept and the material offering of what this new showroom brings can inspire designers, architects and homeowners alike to see beyond the traditional function of tiles and stones as just surface coverings, but an element that plays an extremely important role in setting the look and feel of spaces,” says Jackson.
The Hotel, with headboard made of large format porcelain slabs from Florim Cedit. Screen is also a porcelain tile, from Pamesa Ceramica
At Hafary Gallery, one can touch, feel and see the different designs in varying scenarios while pondering their dream spaces, and come away armed with exciting new ideas and knowledge of what tiles can truly do for their interiors.
Hafary
www.hafary.com.sg
Photography by Robin & Beixin and Benny Loh
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