With the intention of promoting sustainability and green design -- particularly as it pertains to ceramic tile -- Tile of Spain hosted "Material Matters -- Sustaining the Urban Environment with Natural Material" on Thursday, October 20, 2011 at The Times Center in New York City. The event showcased several projects that illustrated how ceramic tile was a quality choice for each application and detailed reasons why it contributed to an overall sustainable design.
The evening kicked off with a presentation by Charles Kramer of the New York-based firm Beyer Blinder Belle about the restoration of the TWA Terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Kramer, along with colleague Richard Southwick, Director of Preservation at Beyer Blinder Belle, gave an in-depth case study of how the famous Eero Saarinen building -- with its free-flowing curves and inventive use of tile -- was restored.