Sassuolo, 28 May, 2013 - An ever present element at one of the most charming locations on the Adriatic Riviera with its bathing establishments, the so-called "bagni". Year after year, the tradition of welcoming visitors features something new, expanding the range of services offered, but also by adopting aesthetically valuable and functional materials, perfectly suited to the environment and for their facilities.

This is surely the case of the Il Gabbiano beach resort, the seafront at Gatteo a Mare (Forlì-Cesena, Italy), which has been completely renovated and fitted with Monocibec ceramics (Fincibec Group) for all inside and outside environments. The Ontario collection, wood-effect porcelain stoneware, was laid in Acero colour, giving a great natural result. The chosen format, 22.3 x 90 cm, invokes traditional wooden planks and laying using the continuous method gives a linear and clean result, modern and elegant at the same time. The natural finish was chosen for the interiors and the non-slip grip finish for outdoor walkways, often used by barefoot bathers. The bathroom and shower walls available to customers were also tiled with Ontario by Monocibec giving rewarding aesthetic results.

The renovation of the Il Gabbiano beach resort represents a unique and extraordinary use of ceramic material which focuses on simplicity, guaranteeing an ideal performance for a particular environment such as a seaside facility that has a great tourist reach, where safety and hygiene are key features. For this reason, the project received an award from the quality jury during the second edition of the Quinquennial Tile Award.

"The Quinquennial Tile Award" is an international awarding event created by the Fincibec Group and dedicated to the best achievements in the fields of architecture and design where ceramic materials created by the Group brands Monocibec, Century, and Naxos, have been applied. The third edition, which welcomes projects performed completed between 2009 and 2013, is currently in progress. Registrations are now open until 25 March, 2014 and for further information, visit www.tileaward.org. A Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submarine watch is the prize for the winner, while the second to the fifth runner ups will win a two night stay for two at the hotel Danieli in Venice, with admittance to the Architecture Biennial event. All other participants to the competition will receive a one-year subscription to the architecture magazine Ottagono, a partner of this initiative.