FUNCTION
All parts of the old masonry stove were repurposed. The tiles were cleaned and cut to measure for the fireplace, with the remnants adorning a winter-garden faucet.
CONTEXT
The villa was designed in the 1930s by architect Kósa Zoltán, whose family still lives there – in 2008 commissioning UIArchitects to renovate and modernize the villa in the spirit of its time. The concept for the interior design was to refurbish or transform the existing, high quality period pieces in the villa, returning them to the redesigned space. In this spirit the disassembled masonry stove avoided further decay by being remodeled and returned to its rightful place and use.
CONCEPT
Metal salts had formed on the surface of the tiles, which were stored in the basement for many years, giving the new fireplace an antiqued. The intact corner tiles provided the design constraint for the new fireplace. The pattern and dimensions of the new winter-garden faucet were determined by the remaining pieces of tile.
PROCESS
During the re-firing process, some of the new pieces acquired a metallic, graphite hue. Over time the surface of the tiles had developed fine, hairline cracks. During the simple oxidation atmosphere firing process, soil and dust trapped in these cracks transformed the turquoise green glaze into a dark metallic grey.
APPEARANCE
Material: Zsolnay tiles from the1930s
Sizes: fireplace 220x40x110 cm, winter-garden faucet 60x60x300 cm
