W

INTRODUCTION

e all have certainly experienced such an admiration, when visiting one of the many

monuments in archaeological sites all around the world, and have istinctively

compared them to the present examples of modern architecture. Even though

contemporary architecture seems to be more ephemeral, standardized and, if compared

to the traces left by our ancestors, lacking of an equal emotional impact, however even

a superficial analysis reveals us that the ancient materials - especially the stones - are

identical to the modern ones. The porphyry paving the streets in our cities consists of the

same material of the streets paved by the Ancient Romans two thousands years ago, and

the columns supporting the structure of the old Justice Palaces remind the structure of the

great Egyptian temples. Nowadays, even if as the centuries have passed, and the typical

concepts and the idea itself of architecture has evolved, there has been no substantial

variation in the fundamental materials used for construction. Among these, stone and marble

continue to play a principal role, thanks to their endless qualities of beauty and charm,

qualities increasing as time goes by. And this achieves a bigger value as far as materials for

paving designs are concerned. In fact, floorings are not only required to satisfy mechanical

features - for example, to be highly resistant to extensive and continual trampling -, they’re

also required to modify the perception of the architectural space, increasing or reducing the

size of the ambients, or to convey a sense of stability or, on the other hand, to transmit a

movement, a spacial rhythm. This also holds true for the colors, which can also feature to

perceptually amplify the paving space or to emphasize a focal point. Architectural history

reveals us how the tradition of decorated floorings developed at the same time as the

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele · Milano · Italy

mosaic did. The first decorated pavements were made by pebbles and the decoration was

created through the skilful use of stones of various colors. As the centuries passed by, the technical evolution and the deeper knowledge of the

material led to the art of the mosaic, as the one of nowadays. The best material for mosaic paving is marble, first of all for its resistance to general

wear. Moreover, it also features a vast range of colors, today greater then ever, widened by new technical knowledge. This volume represents the

first and the only compendium of the chromatic and dimensional variations offered by nowadays market, with more than 28 formats and 35 colors,

giving a total of about 1000 products with

different finishes. lf we add the innumerable

combinatory possibilities, we can state

that the title The One (in philosophy the

Absolute, the First Principle) is well suited

to our Directory (a fundamental tool for

design) - and matches the Sicis company

philosophy, the only international industrial

structure, able to provide such a variety of

formats and colors.

3

EN

ZETES 12

5/8

"x23

5/16

" · 32x59,2 cm

FLOREO 14

3/16

"x23

5/16

" · 36x59,2 cm

PITISSO 13

3/8

"x28" · 34x71 cm