In a growing Vancouver neighbourhood you can find The Mahogany, a mixed-use skyscraper whose façade showcases its luxurious and sophisticated interiors. ‘I was looking for a smooth, marble-like finish at the main entrance with the panels leading to the lobby’, explains Diane Delves, President and CEO at Quantum Properties, the developer of the impressive skyscraper. The building is located in the vibrant neighbourhood of Abbotsford, British Columbia (Canada), overlooking Mill Lake. The façade of this unique building, designed by Site Lines Architecture, was clad with Dekton Aura 15 panels, which, according to Delves, ‘added the perfect finishing touch to our beautiful mixed-use skyscraper’.

The Mahogany is equipped with luxurious facilities such as an indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi, an outdoor atrium and a gym, among others. It also boasts environmentally friendly systems, like geothermal heating and cooling and energy-efficient glazing. A symbol of luxury and sustainability with the finishing touch of the Dekton Aura 15 marble-look finish. ‘Dekton’s interior and exterior panel options and concealed mounting system made it the perfect solution’, Delves concludes.

Versatility as a home philosophy 

A house for everyday life with children, spaces for meeting friends and a vision for the present and the future in every corner. These were the requests of the owners of this house located in Madrid, whom Laura and Enrique of Gärna Studio accompanied throughout the entire process, from the purchase itself, in which they took into account the architectural potential of the house, to the final creative touch.

The structure of this large house fitted perfectly with the classic contemporary style that the family was looking for, which aimed to create versatile spaces with a vision for the future.

“We try to create homes and spaces that can easily evolve, with well-designed and timeless elements that serve as a base on which to add decorations that adapt over time: wallpaper, cushions or a lamp”, says Enrique García, project manager and architect at Gärna Studio.

The first floor is very spacious and bright and features interconnecting rooms. This area is devoted to daytime living and includes the living-dining room, which has a small bookcase on one of its sides and a fireplace clad in natural stone that helps to create a cosy and homely atmosphere.

Located in Shenzen (China), Huawei’s global flagship is a complex with an area of 1,300 m2 where architecture is at the service of interaction and technology. Situated within the MixC World complex, the shop offers multiple areas to explore the brand’s latest innovations, experience its technology and, above all, share. Designed as a meeting point between the company and its customers, it is a perfect example of relational architecture which stands out for its communal, open spaces surrounded by a three-dimensional glass.

To complement this transparent, lightweight looking structure, Stone and Solutions fitters chose Dekton for the flooring because of its optimal performance on high traffic floors. In the words of CEO Richard Ma, “Dekton’s colour is elegant and at the same time futuristic, meeting the design objectives of this flagship”.

The new stadium, financed by the Canadian Simon Fraser University and its students, is designed to offer a completely new university experience. The stadium is home to the sports teams of this Richmond-based university and its refurbishment was intended to extend its capacity and improve the overall quality of the facilities. Athletes, students and the entire educational community can now enjoy new spaces thanks to a design that includes a new structure with a capacity for 1,800 people and a large roof with a contemporary design. In its construction, Perkins + Will Architects used two Dekton colours, Domoos and Spectra. Dekton was also used for the columns throughout the stadium, providing elegance and, at the same time, a number of technical advantages. The stadium is designed to be visited by thousands of people a year and to withstand the extreme weather conditions of the area, from the hottest summers to the coldest and wettest winters. For this reason, the Dekton surface was the perfect solution for this sports facility.

The Shilin district, in northern Taipei (Taiwan), is home to a new Christian church. The church, with its white, minimalist façade, stands out in the urban environment as a timeless symbol thanks to its minimalist architecture with modern influences. Designed by HCW Architects & Associates in collaboration with Mikael Kaul Architect INC, it is the largest Bread of Life church in the country. Its multiple spaces were especially designed to accommodate all kinds of events, from Sunday masses to weddings, seminars, lectures and workshops. In accordance with its spiritual use, the studio proposed a façade with simple lines and a strong contemporary character full of symbolism.

The colours chosen for this harmonious and striking façade were Zenith, Ariane and Strato, three pure white Dekton colours that blend into the façade with large glass windows that flood the interiors with light. In the words of architect Hsieh Chung Yang, “we chose Dekton not only for its extreme hardness, durability and anti-scratch surface, but also for its self-cleaning properties and stain resistance”.

Entente cordiale

The owners of this house, located in a privileged position near Madrid, had been living in the USA for many years. When they came back to Spain, they were very clear about three things: they wanted a house in which black tones stood out, both in the architecture and interior design, that reflected the North American volumetric codes and that was very well interconnected. They needed the architect, interior designer and landscape designer teamed up to give meaning to the project. “As they had been living abroad for a long time, they didn’t know exactly who would be able to meet their demands, so they decided to launch a tender”, explains interior designer Raúl Martins.

“Although we were given total freedom to propose different solutions, they were strict about the colour. Obviously, such requirements can make a project more complicated, but also much more interesting. I believe that an architect or interior designer has a duty to be empathetic with the customers and to look for the best solutions to meet their needs”. In the search for these solutions, the collaboration with architect Francisco Noguera was key. The design of the space was complicated at an architectural level, as it was necessary to minimise the impact of a black exterior in a sunny city like Madrid, but also at a volumetric level.

“It was very enriching working with Francisco. I love the architects’ view of scale, the importance they give to finishes and their concern for the interaction between materials”, says Raúl. This was especially important in the common areas of the house, where the architecture is sometimes more similar to that of a hotel, with ceilings of up to 5 metres. “The works were difficult. It took two and a half years to complete. But the result was better than the owners expectations. They were delighted with the integration between the shape of the building itself, which has a surface area of 2,200 m2, the interior design and the landscaping work by Fernando Pozuelo, which gave context to the whole”.

Denmark’s largest chain of medical aesthetic and plastic surgery clinics, CeriX, wanted to renovate the reception area of its Frederiksberg headquarters and give it a distinctly clean, Scandinavian, elegant and highly functional style.

“We liked the idea of having a reception counter with the look of concrete and found in Dekton Kreta the perfect partner as it is maintenance free, easy to clean and resistant to acids, stains and scratches”, says Rie Jensen, owner of CeriX.

Inspired by classic cement floors, the matt grey finish of Dekton Kreta blends perfectly with the Nordic style and its characteristic colour palette. Additionally, the Dekton Slim version, only 4 mm thick, is perfect for covering furniture, cupboard doors, shelves or walls.

Located in the so-called Art Triangle, opposite the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Queen Sofia National Museum Art Centre), the hotel’s design unsurprisingly pays homage to Madrid’s most popular and musical side. Vibrant colours and a modern concept run throughout the rooms, suites and common areas, where different shades of Dekton and Silestone have been used for wall claddings, fittings and furnishings.

“We were surprised by the versatility of the materials and finishes, so we also used them for furniture, fittings and different equipment in a wide variety of thicknesses”, says Rockwell Group, the architecture studio responsible for the design of the new Hard Rock Hotel in Madrid.

The initial project for this development built by the Palomera company in Santander (Spain) envisaged that part of the façade would be made of concrete. However, after considering various possibilities, the architects decided on a finish with similar characteristics in terms of aesthetics, but with greater resistance to temperature changes and unfavourable weather conditions, such as Dekton Protek Slim. The large dimensions of this material – with formats up to 3,200 x 1,440 mm – made it possible to create an image very similar to the one they had in mind.

The position of the floors of these six family houses varies on the site in order to better integrate the complex into the landscape and ensure perfect natural lighting, which reveals the exterior cladding. According to Be2Arq Arquitectura y Diseño, ‘working with a material that is virtually unchanged, more durable and requires little maintenance was a very rewarding experience.’

‘Our architect, Michael Cardinale, wanted to reinterpret the style of typical European villas in a contemporary manner and planned to use marble as the main feature. However, he quickly dismissed this idea. The owners of the Izvor House are a big family with a very active social life and needed a much stronger material’, Kylie Petrou, Project Manager at Axon Homes, explains.

They found the right product in Cosentino’s materials: an extremely compact quartzite with unique stain resistant protection and a classic pattern. Sensa White Macaubas also fitted perfectly with the other finishes they wanted to use, such as walnut veneer, terracotta accessories and Japanese tiles in olive green or Mediterranean blue.