Downtown Design
redazione 27/11/2025

Ultra-sensory surfaces

An innovative technology integrates video systems and ceramic slabs to create continuous surfaces capable of perfectly reproducing textures and designs directly on monitors. A revolution born in the nautical world and created by Iris Ceramica Group in collaboration with VBH

Innovation in surfaces also involves technology. With this in mind, Iris Ceramica Group aims to offer a new interpretation of the cladding sector, developing unprecedented sensory experiences. The Group has entered into a partnership with VBH, a pioneering brand in the integration of luxury technology in superyachts, to create a revolutionary system that combines high-definition monitors and ceramic slabs. The result is Alchimia & Iris Ceramica Group: an innovative integration that allows ceramics to house and conceal screens and audio-video systems. Invisible at first glance, this technology gives shape to a monitor that blends harmoniously with the design of the slab that frames it, perfectly reproducing its colours and textures. The result is a homogeneous and continuous surface: the screens blend into the material, which also acts as a sound diffuser.

Alchimia & Iris Ceramica Group technology is activated on command, adapting to the brightness of the environment. Thanks to the possibility of customising both the audio-video system and the ceramic surface, it allows you to create spaces that are perfectly consistent with the architectural context. The result is a perception of an orderly, elegant and refined environment.

Its ideal application is in the nautical sector – the field in which the collaboration began – where every detail is tailor-made and every piece of furniture must contribute to a harmonious whole, promoting an experience of relaxation and well-being on board. However, Alchimia & Iris Ceramica Group technology is equally functional in other contexts, such as hospitality, offices and high-end residences. In each of these scenarios, it transforms the experience of space, as each slab becomes a dynamic element that discreetly and surprisingly combines material elegance and technological innovation, making any project distinctive.

This innovation can create a multitude of aesthetic effects and can be applied to numerous ceramic surfaces from the Group’s brands, including Ariostea. A prime example is its use on Ariostea’s new Port Laurent Ultra surface, characterised by a deep black background and a warm undertone crossed by a network of golden veins: a design rich in detail and nuances that lend brightness and charm.

Thanks to Alchimia & Iris Ceramica Group technology, this complexity of tones and designs does not lose its intensity but lives on in continuity between the slab and the monitor, interrupted only when required. Alongside Port Laurent Ultra, Alchimia & Iris Ceramica Group can also be applied to other iconic Ariostea surfaces in the Ultra format, such as Sodalite Blu, Onice Nero, Verde St.Denis, Tropical Black, Nero Marquinia, Dark Emperador, Amazonite and Blue Tempest, offering architects and designers complete design freedom. With Alchimia & Iris Ceramica Group, ceramic slabs are no longer just an immutable material, but elements in constant metamorphosis, ready to reveal new dimensions of experience.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/S7iv9xeI-kM

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