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Before it is a tile, Phenomenon is a set of patterns nature drew first: the bee's hexagon, rain falling straight, ice candles, the packed cells of a leaf. Tokujin Yoshioka gave Mutina the task of translating them into porcelain without flattening them into print - so every tessera is pressed on its own in a custom 100-hole mould, fired under a patented process, and set by hand on mesh sheets.
Eight modules cover the grammar: Rain in three rod rhythms, Honeycomb hexagons of one centimetre in two reliefs, Rock, Air and Wind. Seven matt colours with a powdery, full-body depth run from Bianco and Fango to Blu, Verde and Rosa, while the Glossy line adds Oro and Argento for interior feature walls. Being unglazed porcelain, the matt sheets shrug off water (0.1% absorption), stains (class 5) and chemicals (class A) - so spa walls, showers and shaded outdoor courts are all fair territory, with Rock and Honeycomb A specified for floors.
In Indian hospitality and workplace projects we see it where the brief says «memorable but not loud»: the lift lobby, the spa, the boardroom's back wall. La Mercanti supplies Phenomenon project-wise - samples of the real colours, sheet counts from the drawing, and the VOC A+ and HPD papers for green-building submissions - one Italian partner from specification to delivery.
Collection: Phenomenon
Manufacturer: Mutina
Design: Tokujin Yoshioka, 2010 - 2013 - 2022
Material: mesh-mounted mosaics in unglazed full-body porcelain stoneware (UNI EN 14411 App. G, BIa UGL) - individually pressed tesserae, 100-hole custom mould, patented process, hand assembly
Modules: Rain A/B/C (25×30 cm mesh) - Honeycomb A/B (30×30, 1×1 cm hexagon) - Rock (29×29) - Air (30×30) - Wind (25×25); Honeycomb external trim
Colours: 7 matt (Bianco, Grigio, Fango, Nero, Blu, Verde, Rosa) + Glossy: Rain A, Honeycomb B, Rock in Bianco Glossy, Nero Glossy, Oro, Argento
Use: walls indoor/outdoor; floors: Rock and Honeycomb A; Glossy interior walls only
Declared values (ISO 10545): absorption 0.1% - frost and thermal shock: resistant - chemicals class A - stains class 5 - VOC emissions A+
Awards: Red Dot Design Award 2012, Interior Innovation Award 2014 Best of Best, Azure Love Tag 2012
Documents: technical sheet, VOC, HPD, EPD, SDS from the article page
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The matt line is built for wet and open-air duty: 0.1% water absorption, declared resistance to frost and thermal shock, chemical class A against pool and cleaning agents. Floors specifically take Rock and Honeycomb A; the Glossy metals remain on interior walls. Share the surface schedule and La Mercanti maps each area to the manufacturer's classes.
Because the tesserae are too small - down to one centimetre - for standard tile-making. Mutina built a dedicated, patented process around a 100-hole custom mould, then finishes each sheet by hand. That is what produces the powdery, mineral surface and the craft credibility that took the collection to a Red Dot Award in 2012.
Let the viewing distance decide. Rain's rods hold a wall seen across a lobby; the tiny Honeycomb hexagons reward close quarters - powder rooms, vanity walls; Rock, Air and Wind bring irregular, organic texture, with Rock doubling as flooring. We courier samples of the shortlisted modules so the final call happens against your project's own light and stone palette.
Regular porcelain skills: slow-setting adhesive, joints that continue the mesh spacing, cement grout (epoxy permitted on Rock and Honeycomb A). Daily care is a neutral cleaner in water - the unglazed body holds stain class 5. Mutina's official laying and maintenance sheet accompanies every La Mercanti delivery.
Yes. Mutina's ceramic collections are certified VOC A+ - high-temperature fired, with no organic surface treatments - and HPD, EPD and SDS documentation is available from the article page. La Mercanti compiles the papers with the offer so your sustainability consultant is not chasing files at submission time.
Five practical steps from concept image to delivered crates, with one Italian partner.
