TIMELESS CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL, multifaceted artistic medium, rejuvenating cosmetic and health therapy, and the stuff of childhood play: Clay has lately
been recast as a design treatment that’s as luxurious as it is natural. A fervent
advocate of the creative interior use of this raw material, Matteo Brioni defines his
eponymous unfired clay wall finishes as terra per l’architettura—earth for architecture. They include TerraVista, a dry, ready-mix interior finishing plaster for
vertical surfaces; Multi Terra, a monolayered finishing plaster suitable for creating rough effects; and TerraPaper, clay applied to rolls of fiber glass. Collaboration
with furniture manufacturers led to the development of TerraPlus, clay reinforced with mineral and synthetic binders so the result can withstand abrasions
and contact with water. Matteo Brioni products have been used in a wide variety
of projects, from private residences and high-end boutiques in several European
cities to a museum of mountaineering in the South Tyrol province of Italy.
The formation of humankind from clay is a recurring theme in creation myths
around the world, so we feel an authentic connection to the substance, says the
43-year-old Brioni. “This is a natural material. It’s a return to our basic origins.”
Indoor use of raw clay not only advances the biophilia in interior design, but
also offers a practical and sustainable design option. Fire-resistant and nontoxic,
1. Matteo Brioni walks by a wall
finished with a natural base coat
of “ocra” (ochre) clay and straw
at his company’s headquarters
( www.matteobrioni.com,
info@matteobrioni.com) in Gonzaga
(a province of Mantua, Italy).
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Connecting Interiors
with the Earth
