A public space upgrading project that restores a usable urban area to public use, attractively paved with a striking geometrical pattern, the new porcelain stoneware paving in Corso Trento e Trieste stems from a partnership between the municipality of Lanciano, RicciSpaini Architetti Associati and the Department of Architecture and Design of Sapienza University of Rome.

The design of the paving of the town’s now completely pedestrianized main street is inspired by

decorative motifs from the Abruzzo region tradition, stylized in an unbroken two-tone pattern. Like a pale filigree, this ornamental weave acts as a unifying element between the widely varying facades of the buildings overlooking the street, reconnecting the history and modern fabrics of the town and giving the street a strong visual identity.

The large geometric “carpet,” which extends over the entire carriageway, linking in to the existing basalt slab paving where possible, was created using Marazzi 20 mm SistemN technical porcelain stoneware in the “Sabbia” and “Grafite” shades, custom-cut to the architects’ instructions. This large-scale outdoor project fully expresses all the potentials of this series: the ability to create a custom product, precision-cut to specifications, outstanding technical performances, and a color range enabling exquisite combinations.

In Lanciano, this stoneware, which is ideal for floor/wall coverings or pavings in private or commercial locations, indoors and outdoors, becomes not only the high-thickness physical support for pedestrian traffic, but also a visual symbol of the collective rites of a community: from the Sunday stroll to religious processions.