Client / Lithea
Year / 2025
We have always been drawn to surfaces that "speak," to materials that are not just matter but memory, rhythm, and narrative. Vela di Pietra was born from this: from a shared desire to transform an ancient sign into a contemporary language, to bring Sicily into a module, into a system that never stands still.
Sicilian vela maiolica tiles are an icon, part of a tradition made of repeated gestures, a balance between function and beauty. We were fascinated by the idea of reinterpreting them in a different material, one even more deeply connected to the land they come from: Etna’s lava stone—dense with energy, history, and transformation.
We sculpted the surface as if it were fabric, tracing simple marks, engravings that capture light and shape it into vibrant chiaroscuro effects. The result is an element in constant motion, multiplying to generate ever-changing patterns: oblique lines, geometric interweavings, chaotic signs that recompose into harmonious order.
But Vela di Pietra is more than just a lava tile. It is a system, an open design concept that merges tradition and innovation, craftsmanship and vision. It is an ancient material that becomes architecture, adapting to spaces, carrying the breath of the Mediterranean and the solidity of stone.
We worked in perfect synergy with Lithea to bring this vision to life, driven by the desire to create something dynamic—something that could evolve, transform, and continually find new interpretations. Vela di Pietra is the result of this dialogue, this shared research: a piece of Sicily moving through time and space.
Credits and technical information
Concept and Design / Martinelli Venezia
Materials / Pietra Lavica
Dimensions / single tiles 40×40×2 - 20×20×2 - 10×10×2 cm
Photo / Nino Bartuccio