Porcelanosa Tightens Grasp on U.S. Market

by Jesse Dorris | Monday, March 4, 2013

Porcelanosa's future flagship is located in New York’s iconic Commodore Criterion. Image courtesy of Foster + Partners.

Porcelanosa has announced a new flagship designed by Foster + Partners that will take over the legendary Commodore Criterion building in New York’s Flatiron District. The 18,000-square-foot building’s refurbishment is part of a larger initiative by the Villarreal, Spain-based manufacturer of luxury tile, bath and kitchen products to expand its presence in the U.S. The company has 18 existing U.S. showrooms and six distribution centers that combined span more than five million square feet.

In keeping with their stateside expansion goal, the company has opened its seven-year-old Architecture & Interior Design Awards to U.S. architects and designers, for the first time allowing Americans to submit projects incorporating Porcelanosa products into the global design competition.

A rendering of the 18,000-square-foot showroom. Image courtesy of Foster + Partners.

“We look forward to enriching our relationships with members of the A&D community through both projects,” says Santiago Manent, the company’s East Coast Sales Director. “We’re very excited about what’s next for the brand.”

Winners of the U.S. preliminary competition will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Spain, where they will compete with the international finalists in Madrid on May 30. The submission deadline is April 1; go here for more info.