Embedded Files
The Listing
The countries include: Australia(2), Brazil, China (4), Czech Republic (1), Finland, India, Italy (5), Japan, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Poland, Turkey, and United States.
Australia, 1 of 2, Sydney, Stone Concepts Oz Company
Stone Concepts Oz, of Sydney, Australia, is a relatively small company that describes itself as ‘stocks only the highest quality natural stone finishes and the latest styles’. From this, they are thus best described as suppliers rather than manufacturers, as the stone is outsourced from India. They have a website, but is not searchable. They market the Cairo tiling as both floor and wall tiles, simply titled ‘Pentagon Series’, in stone, although there is only the one pentagonal (Cairo) tiling in their range. This is available in three colour variations, Himachal Black (black slate quarried in India), Silver and Copper. It is not known when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range.
No mention of the connection to the Cairo association is made, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association. The angles and dimensions of the tile are not known, although the thickness is, 11 mm and 18 mm (likely of wall and floor, respectively).
I did not contact the company, judging that they would likely not respond, fairly or unfairly, to a foreign, non-commercial query.
Company details and background
Stone Concepts Oz has been designing, supplying and manufacturing their exclusive range of natural stone finishes from a variety of countries around the world for over 20 years. They have a facility in India where they manufacture and supply globally to five countries. However, much detail is not known; there are no named people, with the size, the number of employees and turnover all not stated. There are no other relevant details.
https://www.stoneconceptsoz.com.au/pentagon-series.html
https://www.stoneconceptsoz.com.au/images1/pentagon-1-4.png (detail)
Australia, 2 of 2, Victoria, Signature Floors Company
Signature Floors, of Victoria, Australia, is a relatively small company that describes itself as providing commercial and residential flooring products for the Australian and New Zealand markets. They appear to be both suppliers and manufacturers. Unlike most other floor entries here, this is of ‘soft’ flooring, rather than ‘hard’. They have a website and are searchable to a degree, but not of the pentagon! They are active on social media, with Facebook and Instagram. They market the Cairo tiling as a modular floor carpet tile simply titled ‘Pentagon Shape Design’. This is described as:
Discover, explore and create with SHAPES by Signature®. Offering six off-the-shelf stocked modular carpet shapes, SHAPES bring colour, texture and shape together in total harmony – providing endless design options for creating truly unique floors. Our brand new Pentagon Shape is the only of its kind in the market and the latest pioneering addition to our innovative Shapes Collection, giving designers and specifiers the freedom to design a floor with edge.
Obviously, given the extensive instances of floor tiles on this page, their statement to the pentagon as is the only of its kind in the market is open to question. As a shape, not, but as a modular carpet tile, then yes.
This is available in three colour variations, as a ‘speckled’ black, grey and white, with occasional splashes of colour, or as they describe: ‘Vivid, Base, Misty and Shift colours’. It is not known when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range.
No mention of the connection to the Cairo association is made, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association, as otherwise it would have been stated. The dimensions of the tile are stated of 27.17cm base, with 26.8cm sides, with a height of 35.38cm, but no width. The angles are not given (from the details given, I dare say I could calculate this, or redraw in a geometry software program, such as GeoGebra, but I decided not to bother). The base and side lengths are somewhat curious in that there is only a 19mm difference between them, of which the impression is of an equilateral pentagon. But not so! It seems obvious to use an equilateral pentagon here, being so near in base and sides, but for unclear reasons, Signature decided not to.
I contacted the company for further details, but they did not respond.
Company details and background
Signature Floors, founded by Bill O’Halloran in 1989, is led today by the next generation - Anthony O’Halloran (son) and Rob Herten, who together steer the company, which is now based in a 9,000m2 purpose-built facility in Victoria. Signature Floors is committed to delivering the best innovations and quality the world can offer, across vinyl, rubber, laminate, plank, needlepunch, axminster, carpet tile and carpet roll flooring products. They have a six-person management team, although the number of employees is not stated. There are no other relevant details.
https://www.signaturefloors.com.au/
https://www.signaturefloors.com.au/about-shapes/ (click on pentagon tile, which leads to below)
https://www.signaturefloors.com.au/pentagon/
Brazil, of Biancogres Company
Biancogres, from Brazil, appears to be a tile company of substantial size, seemingly of both wall and floor, although much remains unclear as to specifics here. It is not entirely clear if they are manufacturers, suppliers or both. They have an extensive website, in Spanish, and a social media presence. Among their range is a Cairo tiling, in marble, albeit I have not been able to find this on their website (I also searched their 2018 and 2019 catalogues, but without success), but rather from other retail outlets. Its title is not known. From the detail gained, of a tile of marble, 11 mm thick and weighing one kilogram, this would appear to be for flooring only. The angles and side lengths are not given, although the width and height are.
Biancongres
It is not known when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range. No mention of the connection to the Cairo association on any of the pages (their own and others), and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association. I did not contact the company, judging that they would likely not respond, fairly or unfairly, to a foreign, non-commercial query.
Company details and background
As such, there is little detail! Their Facebook page states they have more than 50 years of experience, although their blog implies a 1983 beginning. The people involved are not given. Be that as it may, they have many outlets/stores throughout Brazil.
https://www.biancogres.com.br/
https://arquiteturaeconstrucao.abril.com.br/materiais/piso-ceramico-vai-da-cozinha-ao-living/
http://www.decorartecaxias.com.br/produtos/id/697/livre-revestimentos-marmo-element
China (1 of 4), Quanzhou Fujian, of Fansolic Company
Fansolic, a subsidiary of Newstar Stone, is a major Chinese company that describes itself as supplying stone materials of all types, from all around the world. They have an extensive website in English. They market the Cairo tiling in a variety of formats, such as wall and floor tiles (along with other uses), in marble, simply titled ‘pentagon’. There are four versions, albeit of a like nature. Although not stated explicitly, it seems the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range beginning in 2013, with further additions in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
No mention of the connection to the Cairo association is made on the site, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association.
I did not contact the company, judged that they would likely not respond, fairly or unfairly, judged a major foreign conglomerate, with a subsidiary company, with no obvious point of contact for a non-commercial query.
Company Background
Fansolic is a brand company belonging to Newstar Stone, in Quanzhou, Fujian, China, with a history of more than 20 years. They are the fastest developing stone enterprises in China, exporting stone, quarry mining, processing, manufacturing and project construction. Their main markets are the United States, Canada, and Australia.
China (2 of 4), of Venado Company
Venado is a relatively small Chinese company that describes itself as mainly exporting handmade tile, mosaic tile and customised design to Australia, Korea, the USA, and the Philippines. A feature is of their handcrafted nature. They have a website, in Chinese and English. They market the Cairo tiling as wall and floor tiles, simply titled ‘pentagon hand made tiles’. There are two broadly similar versions, one only suitable for wall and another for walls and floors. The tiles have a curious mottled texture, available in a variety of colours. It is not known when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range, although as the company began in 2015, it is obviously recent. Oddly, I cannot find the tiling on their webpage, but only through their presence on AliExpress, an e-commerce platform somewhat similar to eBay.
No mention of the connection to the Cairo association is made on either of the two sites, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association.
I did not contact the company, judging that they would likely not respond, fairly or unfairly, to a foreign, non-commercial query.
Company Background
Established in 2015, Venado Tiles mainly exports handmade tile, mosaic tile and customised design to Australia, Korea, the USA, and the Philippines. There are no other relevant details.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33046550542.html?spm=2114.12010615.8148356.2.28f31a6eQy0e2F
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32956697352.html?spm=2114.12010615.8148356.8.28f31a6eLtwCdD
China (3 of 4), Xiamen, Fujian, of Caron Stone Co., Ltd
Caron Stone Co., Ltd of Xiamen, Fujian, China, is a company that describes itself as a manufacturing and exporting of ledge stones (see below) and mosaics. They have a website in English, and it is searchable. They market the Cairo tiling as both a floor and wall tile. The tiles are titled ‘High quality Marmara Equator white marble pentagon stone mosaic tilestone mosaic’. The formation, size, and turnover of the company are not known, and so consequently, it is not known when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range.
Caron Stone
The angles and dimensions of the tile are not known, although the thickness is 7mm and 10mm. No mention of the connection to the Cairo association is made on the site, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association.
I did not contact the company, judged, fairly or unfairly, that they would likely not respond to a non-commercial query of foreign origin.
Company details and background
Caron Stone Co., Ltd is based in Xiamen, Fujian, China. However, beyond that, there is little more relevant detail to add! As discussed above, their formation, size and turnover are not known. Their speciality is ledge stones, of which I must admit, I was unaware of the term! Upon research, in its most basic sense, ledge stone is a pattern of stonework using horizontal joints. The pattern is typically made up of individually stacked pieces of stone where the horizontal ledge is more defined than the vertical joins. The term is widely used in the industry. Further, Marmara Equator is a white and grey marble with distinctive linear veins quarried in Turkey. This stone is especially good for wall and floor other typical purposes.
Geographically, Xiamen is a port city on China’s southeast coast, across the strait from Taiwan. Fujian is a province known for its mountains and coastal cities.
China (4 of 4), Xiamen, of Xiamen Just Stone Co., Ltd.
Xiamen Just Stone Co., Ltd, of Xiamen, Fujian, China, is a company that describes itself as a ‘large scale stone business company and quarry owner, factory, importer, and exporter’. They have a presence on the web portal Stone Contact site, in English. They market the Cairo tiling as a ‘Mosaic Tile for Hotel, Kitchen, Bathroom Decoration’. It is not clear if this is a floor or wall tile, or possibly with dual use. The tiles are not titled with a trade name as such, but rather by a letter and number description (as with others in their range), namely W42. The stone is of Grey Foussana Limestone, a kind of grey limestone quarried in Tunisia. It is not known when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range.
Xiamen
The angles, dimensions and thickness of the tile are not known. No mention of the connection to the Cairo association is made on the site, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association.
I did not contact the company, judged, fairly or unfairly, that they would likely not respond to a non-commercial query of foreign origin.
Company details and background
Xiamen Just Stone began in 2004, and has 5-50 employees. They have quarries in Tunisia, Iran, India and China, and with precision-manufacturing and beautiful finishing, they meet all international standards, specifications and tolerances. They are well known for selling high-quality stone blocks from around the world in China.
https://www.stonecontact.com/products-534101/mosaic
Czech Republic (2 of 2), of Cemento Design Company
Cemento Design, of the Czech Republic, describe itself as ‘Concretes for construction and design’, and produces large-format facade cladding boards, interior wall cladding, large-format tiles, garden and urban furniture and kitchen and bathroom solitaries. They have a website, in Czech and English. It is not entirely clear if they are suppliers in the normal sense as well. Among their range is a Cairo tiling, in concrete, titled ‘Large format floor tiles and wall tiles – Pentagon’, of which I suspect is on license (of some kind) from Daniel Ogassion (of a like concrete designer/user), as they use one of his pictures (Ogassian’s tiles can be seen in many places). However, if indeed so, oddly, there is no mention of him on the page. With the likely Ogassian connection/source and various uncertainties, I am thus less inclined to investigate this, apparently being a non-unique occurrence. But I may be wrong...
It is not known when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range. No mention of the connection to the Cairo association on the page, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association.
I did not contact the company, judging that they would likely not respond, fairly or unfairly, to a foreign, non-commercial query.
Company details and background
As such, there is no relevant detail! No date of the formation of the company or the people involved is given.
https://cementodesign.cz/en/vyrobky/velkoformatova-dlazba-a-obklady/pentagon/
Finland, Vantaa, of Laattakeskus Company
Laattakeskus of Vantaa, Finland, is a company that describes itself as a ‘Specialty store for wall and floor tiles’. It would appear that they are suppliers rather than manufacturers. They have a website in both Finnish and English and are searchable, and have a minor presence on Facebook. They market the Cairo tiling as both a floor and wall tile in three colour versions, accordingly titled ‘Pentagon Grey’, ‘Pentagon Light Grey’ and ‘Pentagon White’, imported from Indonesia. The Cairo tiling was introduced into their range in 2019.
The angles and dimensions of the tile are not known, although the thickness is 10mm. No mention of the connection to the Cairo association is made on the site, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association.
I contacted the company for further details, but they did not respond.
Company details and background.
The formation date, size, and turnover of the company are not known. I was not able to discern any relevant details!
Geographically, Vantaa, population 228,678 (2019) is a city and municipality in southern Finland. It is part of the inner core of the Finnish Capital Region along with Helsinki, Espoo, and Kauniainen. Vantaa has a rich history that dates back to the Stone Age.
https://www.laattakeskus.fi/en/home/2691-pentagon-white-150x100-mm-kivimosaiikki.htm
https://www.laattakeskus.fi/en/home/2692-pentagon-grey-150x100-mm-kivimosaiikki.html
https://www.laattakeskus.fi/en/home/2693-pentagon-light-grey-150x100-mm-kivimosaiikki.html
India, Rajasthan, of Rajdhani Marble & Tiles Company
Rajdhani Marble & Tiles, of Vishwakarma Industrial Area, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, describe themselves as a manufacturer and supplier of ‘Sand Stone, Lime Stone, Tiles & Slab, Marble & Granite, Elevation Stone’. They market the Cairo tiling as marble stone in two varieties, ‘white pentagon’ and ‘small pentagon’, stated as dual-purpose floor and wall tiles. This is marketed on IndiaMART, India's largest online marketplace. Each page has the bare minimum of detail, restricted to product detail and commercial matters. It is unknown when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range.
Upon an August 2019 request for background details of the reasons for the choice of tile and photo permissions, they did not respond.
No mention of the connection to the Cairo association is made on the site, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association.
Company Background
Rajdhani Marble & Tiles, under the leadership of Mr Mohan Kumawat, the CEO, began in 2013. They can be described as a small business, employing 11-25 people. There is little other detail.
https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/white-pentagon-stone-mosaic-tiles-20480425773.html
https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/small-pentagon-stone-mosaic-tiles-20480379688.html
Italy (1 of 5), Faenza, of Gigacer Ceramics Company
Gigacer, a major Italian ceramics company based in Faenza (of historical significance as to pottery, detailed below), has used the Cairo tiling in two ways, as flooring and wall coverings. (As this is a dual-aspect sighting, the latter is discussed on the ‘As Wall Covering’ page.) These are marketed under the ‘Argilla’ range. The instigation and reason for the selection of the Cairo tiling are unknown. Likely, this is ‘modern’, loosely defined; I have seen these marked at a presumed trade fair of 2015, and it appears to have been launched in 2016. The tiles are made from quartz.
I have not been able to find any reference to the Cairo tiling on the company's site, or on related architecture sites, where they feature quite heavily. However, the angles 123° (2), 90° (2), and 114° are indeed given, as well as the lengths, with a base of 490mm and sides of 842mm.
Company details, from their website:
Gigacer was born in Faenza, the cradle of ceramics and cutting edge of industrial and crafting production technology in ceramic materials.
This territory contains the right environment and skills necessary to develop an innovative project in this industry, following the most strict regulations on quality and environment preservation.
Experience and technological innovation merge into a new way of producing ceramic tiles: flexible, with high quality and oriented to satisfy an everyday more demanding market.
This is our mission, the mission of a modern and innovative company, definitely Made in Faenza.
Faenza details, from Wikipedia:
Faenza is an Italian city and comune, in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, situated 50 kilometres southeast of Bologna. Faenza is home to a historical manufacture of majolica-ware glazed earthenware pottery, known from the name of the town as faience.
General scene in room
Trade display
Italy (2 of 5), Fiorano Modenese, of Verde1999 Company
Verde1999, a major Italian ceramics company based in Fiorano Modenese, Sassuolo (a famed region in ceramics), has used the Cairo tiling as flooring in their ‘Lava’ range, titled ‘Pentagono’. It is available in four colours.
As such, I have not been able to find much detail as to the company background on their website. Presumably, from their name, the company was formed in 1999, but beyond that, I cannot say more!
Details of the tiling can be found in their catalogue, at the end of the page:
http://www.verde1999.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=339&Itemid=871&lang=de
A mail for background details and photo permissions went unanswered.
Italy (3 of 5), Modena, Pastorelli Company
Pastorelli, of Modena, Italy, describes themselves as ‘in the construction of floor and wall tiles’. They have a website, in Italian as well as English, French and German. They market the Cairo tiling as porcelain stoneware, floor and wall tiles, simply titled ‘Vanguard Pentagono’ in three versions, ‘light, rust, and smoke’. The tiles are of two types, ‘plain’ and with a secondary design of chevrons of sorts, which seems somewhat odd.
It is not known when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range. No mention of the connection to the Cairo association is made, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association. The side lengths and angles are not detailed. Presumably, one can order directly from the company, but another supplier is Sorgente s.r.l.
I did not contact the company, judging that they would likely not respond, fairly or unfairly, to a foreign, non-commercial query.
Company details and background
Pastorelli, founded in 1967, today boasts an experience of over 40 years in the construction of floor and wall tiles. Productively active in the two factories of Savignano sul Panaro, Pastorelli was one of the first companies to produce gres porcelain in the 90s, becoming a reference in the field for creativity and product innovation. I was not able to establish the people involved or the size, but they appear to be a large concern.
http://www.pastorellitiles.com/
http://www.afoideli.gr/images/productpdf/cat.%20vanguard.pdf
Italy (4 of 5), Sassuolo, of Ceramica Colli di Sassuolo S.p.A.
Ceramica Colli di Sassuolo S.p.A. (of the Vallelunga & Co group), of Fiorano Modenese, Modena, Italy, is a major company that describes itself as a tile manufacturer. They have an extensive website in Italian, with English, French and German options, and it is searchable. They market the Cairo tiling for both floor tiles and walls (and pictured as such), distributed worldwide. The Cairo tiling is titled, among their 19-tile collection range, curiously as ‘Preston’ (amid other such arbitrary titles), and oddly without any reference to a pentagon (albeit referred to as ‘Penta’ in the specifications of the catalogue)! It is available in four muted colours: Grigio, Bianco, Nero and Greige (grey, white, black and grey). The angles and side lengths are not stated (albeit given as 16” x 12” in the specifications of the catalogue. A secondary source, Decor Tiles & Floors, of the UK, gives 310 x 410 mm), although the thickness is 9.2 mm. It is not known when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range.
Ceramica Colli di Sassuolo display interior
No mention of the connection to the Cairo association is made on the site, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association.
I did not contact the company, judged that they would likely not respond, fairly or unfairly, judged a major foreign concern, with no obvious point of contact for a non-commercial query.
Geographically, the Sassuolo district produces eighty per cent of all ceramic tiles in Italy, with more than 300(!) ceramic factories operating. The city is currently the centre of the Italian tile industry in the world.
Company details and background
Ceramica Colli, founded in 1960, is based in Fiorano Modenese, right in the heart of the famed Sassuolo ceramics district, where the quality of the raw materials and the technological evolution have made it the world leader for the ceramics industry. The company closely cooperates with the renowned Italian designer Giorgio Saporiti, whose signature style may be traced in many ranges offered by the brand, although it is not known if he was associated with the Preston range. The founder’s name is not given. No other relevant detail is given.
http://www.colli.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Catalogo-Preston-LOW.pdf (see pp. 1 (wall), 10 (floor), 12 (wall), and minor technical details: 17, 19, 21, 23-24
http://www.colli.it/collezioni/preston/?lang=en
Italy (5 of 5), Milan, of Dvne Company
Dvne, of Milan, Italy, is a company that describes itself as a manufacturer of ‘luxury alu (aluminium) tiles for architectural surfaces’. They have an easily navigable website in both Italian and English, but it is not searchable and a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram. They market the Cairo tiling, titled ‘Pentagono’ (of one of six, ‘simple’ geometric tiles in their collection) as both aluminium floor and wall tiles. It is not known when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range, although likely this is of modern-day appearance, at least as of 2018, as dated from their Facebook page. More exactly, the tile is described as a ‘Peraluman aluminium surface’ (Peraluman is the commercial name of a series of aluminium alloys (5000 Series) whose principal alloy element is magnesium. The addition of magnesium gives excellent corrosion resistance, even in marine environments, and a particular aptitude for hardening by cold plastic deformation). This is available in 16 colours in a gloss and 16 matte, with a characteristic grain. It is not entirely clear how ‘successful’ this is; the only pictures are from Dvne, and these simply show close-up detail, or in the production process, and not in context, as floor or wall tiles in a room. As to ordering, archiproducts.com gives ten stockists, all from Italy, and so it does not appear that these are exported.
Dvne, manufacturing
Dvne, detail
By the very nature, this is a noticeably different material from what is otherwise largely of ceramic tiles here, and so could arguably be better placed elsewhere. However, as this is indeed a tile, and is stated for walls (and floors), I have thus decided to include it here.
The angles, dimensions and thickness of the tile are known: angles 126°, 90° (2), 117° (2); dimensions 262.2cm (base), 300cm (sides), and thickness 3mm and 5mm. No mention of the connection to the Cairo association is made on the site, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association.
I did not contact the company, judged, fairly or unfairly, that they would likely not respond to a non-commercial query of foreign origin.
Company details and background
Dvne, part of the Rota Group (an aluminium specialist), was seemingly formed in 1978, although the exact beginning is a little unclear; this could be when the Rota Group first became involved. Typically, when takeovers and mergers occur, it is not always easy to determine which is the main company, as indeed occurs here. Dvne, as a name, features on the Rota Group site, and so now appears to be a subsidiary of sorts.
Be that as it may, with Anodic Oxidation, the Rota family introduced innovation and sustainability to the oxidation processes of aluminium. The experience gained over the years and the ability to perceive the continuous technological innovations allow Anodic Oxidation to make available to the customer a wide range of finishes, ranging from bright gloss to opaque, from traditional colours to others similar to the steel colour and titanium.
It is not clear as to the background of the company name. In English, this is, or can be, pronounced as ‘Devine’, of which this seems a reasonable association for the naming. Of course, it may be something entirely different! The founder’s name is not given.
https://www.dvne.it/it/design-pentagono/
https://img.edilportale.com/catalogs/DVNE-it-en-Dvne-Milano-0-cata128161f.pdf (see pp. 3, 8, 11)
https://www.edilportale.com/prodotti/dvne/lastra-in-alluminio-dvne-per-rivestimenti/design-pentagono_369746.html
N. B. Edilportale is a portal site.
Italian Suppliers
Sorgente s.r.l, of Arpino, Italy, is a company that simply describes itself as a ‘Building materials supplier’. They have a website (of which, for unclear reasons, makes you wait while it loads!) in Italian. They supply the Cairo tiling from Pastorelli.
Malaysia, Guocera Company
Guocera, of Selangor, Malaysia, is a company that describes itself as ‘one of Malaysia’s largest manufacturers and exporter of tiles’. They have a website in English and it is searchable, albeit the facility is not particularly useful. They market the Cairo tiling as both floor and wall tiles, albeit seemingly without a brand or range name! Likely, indeed almost certainly, there is a title, but it does not accompany the picture I have found, and with numerous brand names to click through on their site and in the four catalogues (searched with thumbnails), I decided not to pursue further. It is available in four colours, or perhaps more accurately, as shades of brown. There is also a reference to ‘rugs’, although this does not appear to be in the literal sense. Perhaps this is some title or colour. It is not known when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range.
The angles, dimensions and thickness of the tile are not known. No mention of the connection as to the Cairo association is made on the site, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association.
Company details and background.
Guocera began in about 1970, is a major company, with 1,600 employees and is a member of the Hong Leong Group, a Malaysian conglomerate with diverse business interests in various countries globally. Ceramiche Guocera ranks among the most reputable brands in the global marketplace, supplying tiles to many prestigious commercial and residential development projects in over 50 countries worldwide. Guocera also boasts a dedicated R&D centre (Ceramic Research Company-CRC), which is ISO-IEC 17025:2005 accredited, the only one of its kind in South East Asia.
The founder’s name is not given.
http://www.guocera.com.my/inspiration-design-tiles-malaysia/tessuto/259
http://www.guocera.com.my/product/rugs/1271
http://www.guocera.com.my/product/rugs/1272
Morocco, Tangier, of MOSAIC factory
The MOSAIC factory company, of Tangier, Morocco (with showrooms in Paris, London, Málaga and Madrid), under the brand name Mosaic del Sur, manufactures and sells a range of tiles, of encaustic cement, Granito, Terrazzo and Zellige, of over 500 designs. The company was established in 2002. The instigation and reason for the selection of the Cairo tiling are unknown; I have not been able to find any reference to the Cairo tiling on the company's site.
Kitchen Floor display
Pakistan, Karachi, of AFinishes Company
AFinishes was founded in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2016. The company facilitates its clientele with the creation of unique collections of concrete tile designs, offering colour, pattern and style to one’s space. Their product range includes cladding, wall panels and floor tiles. Of particular interest is their floor tiles, in handcrafted concrete, with a range titled ‘Penta’. This is simply a monochrome grey concrete, without any further decoration.
© AFinishes
© AFinishes
https://www.afinishes.com/
https://www.afinishes.com/penta/
Acknowledgements
Shabbir Anjarwala, Managing Director of AFinishes, for photo permissions.
Turkey, Istanbul, of Termal Seramik Company
Termal Seramik (Thermal Ceramic), of Istanbul, Turkey, describe itself as a tile manufacturer. They have a website in Turkish only, but it is automatically translatable, but it is not searchable. They market the Cairo tiling for both floor and wall tiles, of which this is not transposable. The Cairo tiling is titled, among their extensive range as ‘Pentagone’. For floor tiles, it is available in two colours: bone and grey. This is available as a 45cm x 45cm (18” x 18”) tile. For wall tiles, it is available in four colours: bone, grey, brown and blue, and in combination, of all four. The ‘combination’ appears to have additional interior decoration. This is available as a 22.5cm x 60cm (9” x 24”) tile. However, neither correlates with a single pentagon tile as such. Possibly, rather than a single tile, this is rectangular and square, with ‘many’ pentagons. The angles, side lengths and thickness are not stated. It is not known when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range, but as the company was formed relatively recently, in 1995, it is thus not ‘old’.
Termal Seramik
No mention of the connection to the Cairo association is made on the site, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association.
I did not contact the company, judged that they would likely not respond, fairly or unfairly, judged a major foreign concern, with no obvious point of contact for a non-commercial query.
Company details and background
Termal Seramik was founded in Sögüt, Bilecik in 1995. The first factory started production in 1997, and the second factory in 2005. They employ about 850 people. The founders’ names are not given.
UK, London, of In Situ Company
In Situ, of London, UK, describes itself as ‘a specialist supplier of commercial and bespoke ceramic tiles, faience, terracotta and stone (tile & slab), providing high quality service for a portfolio of global clients’. From this, they are thus suppliers rather than manufacturers. They have a website but it is not searchable, and a social media presence on Facebook. Much of the Cairo tiling aspect here is shrouded in (unintended?) secrecy and obscurity. They market, or have used (once only, as a bespoke instance?), the Cairo tiling as a floor tiling only, simply titled ‘FPS (also referred to as FBS elsewhere!) Resita Stone pentagons’. Quite what the title refers to is unclear; I have been unable to determine the meaning of FPS/FBS and Resita Stone, both aspects (and in combination) unknown. This is described as ‘Patterned into a characteristic pentagon design, tailored to the monumental space’. It is not precisely known where this installation is; all that is given is ‘City of London, 2019’ and ‘new office space in the heart of London's financial district’! Why not just say the building and exactly where, In Situ? It is not known when the Cairo tiling was introduced into their range if indeed there is even a range!
No mention of the connection to the Cairo association is made, and so whether the use of the Cairo tiling is purposeful or accidental, the latter in the sense of a generic pentagon tiling is unknown. Likely, they are unaware of this association. The angles, side lengths and thickness of the tile are not known.
I contacted the company, but they did not respond to a non-commercial query.
Company details and background
In Situ is run under the ownership/direction of Peter Pépés, with a background in ceramics and stone. The company began in 1991, and LinkedIn gives six employees. There are no other relevant details.
https://www.insitu.london/city-of-london-private?fbclid=IwAR0YeW6fLlWAz_hta7zWurIKa7_YhFVFA6K1IR-MTwnVHXF-2npdPEhrzBU
https://www.insitu.london/city-of-london-private?lightbox=dataItem-jv5ec3db
UK Suppliers
Of Ceramica Colli, Italy.
https://www.decortiles.co.uk/tile/504626-2/
For those who are intending a home DIY project, or indeed, of just general interest, note that floor and wall tiles are not interchangeable, as previously, I believe, I once thought. There are important differences; indeed, there is a whole lot more to this than I thought! Tiledevil.co.uk has compiled a good, succinct guide, of which I excerpt below:
What's the Difference between Floor Tiles and Wall Tiles?
Tiles intended only for use as wall tiles are often lighter and thinner than floor tiles.
The glazes used in the manufacture of a wall tile are also different to those used for floor tiles, and are not designed to resist abrasive forces from foot traffic.
Different tiles can be made from different types of clay and different types of glaze. Tiles produced exclusively for walls are inherently not intended to be load bearing.
Floor tiles can of course be installed on a wall; however, they will still be referred to as "floor tiles". Many of our 30 x 60 tiles, for example, are floor tiles, but more often than not they're installed on bathroom walls. But they are still referred to as floor tiles.
Who Decides Which are Which?
An independent rating system classifies ceramic and porcelain tiles according to their strength and durability. The Porcelain Enamel Institute rating (PEI rating) of tiles is a measure of how much wear and tear a tile can take:
Group 0: These tiles are unrated, and are only suitable for use on walls.
Group I: These tiles are suitable only for areas of very light traffic, where shoes are unlikely to be used, such as an upstairs’ ensuite. The surface of the tile could be easily marked or scratched by only a small amount of harsh treatment.
Group II: Areas of the home which are not exposed to the highest levels of traffic, or not likely to come into contact with significant quantities of dirt or other abrasive materials. So the hall and kitchen would not qualify here, but a living room and bathroom would.
Group III: Any residential area, or indeed some light commercial areas, where the presence of abrasive dirt etc. is not excessive.
Group IV: Any residential area, commercial areas such as restaurants, exhibition areas, hotel rooms, showrooms, where there may be significant traffic.
Group V: Substantial or very heavy traffic, such as shopping centres, commercial entrances, hotel lobbies, and industrial workplaces. Theses tile are generally more expensive than tiles in the other categories.
Any tile that is unrated or fails to qualify for even a Class I rating is referred to as a “wall tile”. Wall tiles must only be used on walls. Floor tiles (any tiles that have achieved a Class I – Class V rating) are made from materials that are suitable for installing on the floor. The glaze is super durable, and they're up to 20% heavier than wall tiles.
In summary: Wall tiles are suitable for walls only - floor tiles can go on either.
The Difference between Wall and Floor Tiles, and Style:
Due to the impervious or vitreous nature of ceramic and porcelain tiles, and the hardened glaze which is usually fired onto their top surface, tiles are normally found in bathrooms, wet-rooms, and kitchens. At a minimum, hand-basins and the area around bathtubs should have a tiled backsplash of wall tiles. This is to prevent water damage to painted plaster surfaces in a home.
Many styles of wall tiles are presented with a high gloss finish. Due to the slip risk, it’s less common to find high gloss tiles on bathroom floors.
It’s more common to find wall tiles with decorative embellishments than is the case for floor tiles. Coloured bands, trims, borders, and listellos (often featuring mosaics) are sometimes embedded within wall tile installations. The mosaics might contain a blend of small pieces of polished travertine, mother of pearl, glass, and brushed aluminium. The purpose is purely decorative, and to eliminate any visual monotony of a large, unicolour wall. This looks great in an expensive installation with floor-to-ceiling tiling.
7 July 2025. Page spun off from 'Cairo Tiling as Flooring'. Previously, I included both in situ flooring and manufacturers/stockists. This made for a very long page with no differentiation between the two groupings. This I now judge aesthetically better to separate as distinct, albeit related, entities. Hence, this new page, albeit of 'old' content. For the page history, I retain the old dates when added to the site. I also removed geographic detail, giving background on the location of the company, which, although well-intended at the time (2019), was not strictly necessary and only served to distract from the imagery. and generally bloat each entry.
Page History (i.e. Content)
Malaysia. Guocera Company, of Malaysia text and link added 3 June 2019.
US. Daniel Ogassian added 3 July 2019.
Italy, of Gigacer company, Argilla range added 22 July 2019.
Morocco, Tangier, MOSAIC company, Sur del Mur range added 23 July 2019.
Pakistan, AFinishes text and image added 7 August 2019.
Italy, Fiorano Modenese, of Verde1999 Company text added 8 August 2019.
India, Rajastan, Rajdhani Marble & Tiles, text and links added 22 August 2019.
China, Fansolic text and links added 23 August 2019.
China, Venado text and links added 26 August 2019.
China, Caron Stone Co., text, picture and links added 30 August 2019.
Finland, Laattakeskus, text and links added 3 September 2019.
Czech Republic, Cemento Design, text and links added 9 September 2019.
Brazil, Biancogres, text, picture and links added 10 September 2019.
China, Xiamen Just Stone Co., Ltd., text, picture and links added 18 September 2019.
Australia, Sydney, Stone Concepts Oz, text and links added 19 September 2019.
United Kingdom, London, In Situ, text and links added 19 September 2019.
Italy, Sassuolo, Ceramica Colli di Sassuolo S.p.A., text, picture and links added 25 September 2019.
Turkey, Istanbul, Termal Seramik, text, picture and links added 1 October 2019.
Malaysia, Guocera, text and links 2 October 2019, greatly expanded from an initial four-line entry of 3 June 2019.
Italy, Dvne, text, picture and links added 4 October 2019.
Australia, Signature Floors, text, and links added 30 October 2019.
United States. Daniel Ogassian, revised, enlarged (from an initial ten-line entry of 3 July 2019) added 15 November 2019.
Page updated
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