Following the completion of the international terminal at Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Azerbaijan, Dekton, the ultra-compact surface by Cosentino, was specified for the striking outdoor flooring by the airport’s main entrance. Overseeing the flooring and the interior design throughout the terminal was Instanbul-based design firm, Autoban.
The new terminal building features an unusual triangular shape with rounded edges, designed to reflect Azerbaijan Airlines’ logo; a reference which is repeated throughout the premises and influenced the design of the outdoor flooring. Autoban developed an eye-catching pattern created with different coloured equilateral triangles measuring 1,500mm on each side in order to achieve a 3D effect of raised cubes.
To achieve this the designers sought a material that was manufactured in large enough pieces to ensure that the large triangular slabs could be cut without risk of cracking or the creation of unwanted seams within the triangles, which would ruin the clean, geometric effect.
Dekton offered the perfect solution. It is made from a complex mix of the raw materials that are used to manufacture glass, porcelain and quartz surfaces, and then placed under ultra-compression to form the final product. This results in a material with the ability to resist heat, stains and scratches; and withstand high volumes of traffic when used as flooring. Dekton’s high resistance to abrasion creates a long lasting floor that will never need resurfacing or refinishing.
Dekton’s other benefits include it’s aesthetic appeal and low maintenance requirement. The design concept demanded a material in a solid, uniform colour with a natural look and slate finish, which could also be produced in two lighter shades to create the contrasting triangle pattern. Sirius proved to be the perfect colour for this challenge, and two bespoke, lighter shades were developed specifically for this project, illustrating the level of pigmentation control that can be applied during the manufacturing process. This attention to detail resulted in a product with an exceptional level of colour stability that will not fade over time. In addition, Dekton is highly resistant to both UV light and heat, making it perfect for outdoor applications.
A new post by Joe Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, August 2017.
