Since its inception in the 1800s mosaic cement floor tiles have provided an unsurpassed living experience, embellishing mansions, palaces, temples, and important public buildings throughout Europe and America. World-renowned architects and designers have made use of hydraulic cement floor tile in many of their master architectural works. Antoni Gaudí one the greatest Spanish architects of all time utilized them extensively on several of his commissioned projects.
 

Tierra y Fuego is proud to showcase and offer cement floor tiles as an exquisite and functional element of architecture.  Our master artisans with decades of experience in the art of making floor tiles use the best natural materials to create handcrafted cement floor tiles of exceptional quality.

In the early 20th Century, there was a rapid expansion in the use of mosaic cement tiles. Historians attribute the popularity to the Art Nouveau style of architecture, which is characterized by highly stylized, flowing curvilinear designs that often incorporate floral and other plant-inspired motifs. Europe was the central stage for the adoption of cement floor tiles. Later the tiles were introduced to Latin America, and the United States during the Spanish Revival Architectural Period of the 1920s and 1930s that took place in California.  

 

The test of time has proven that cement floor tiles have an everlasting impression.  Mosaic cement tiles can be found in many parts of Europe, particularly in France and Spain. For instance, Gaudí’s private home in Barcelona is fully covered with cement floor tiles.  In many of his works, Gaudí uses handcrafted cement tile as an important element of functionality and beauty. Casa Batlló, built between the years of 1904 and 1906, has cement floor tiles decorating many of its rooms, passageways, and terraces.  This unique house is now a historic landmark in Barcelona, located in Pasaig de Gracia.
 

References of the embracement of hydraulic cement floor tiles, also referred as Victorian tiles, are also found in American historic states in California.  The Kamins House in Beverly Hills displays handcrafted cement tiles in an open-air living room adjacent to the dinning terrace.  Simultaneously, this element of architecture was also well adopted in Latin America.  The floor tiles can be seen in many haciendas and churches throughout Mexico. They can be found as far away as Rio de Janeiro in Brazilian villas.

 

During the 1960s, the industrialization of mass-produced tiles and their accessibility to the markets almost caused the disappearance of the use and making of mosaic cement floor tiles.  However, the timeless appeal of these tiles is once again gaining prominence.  In recent years, some construction companies, interior designers, architects, and homeowners have found a particular interest of incorporating this high quality artwork into their projects. Because of the versatility of cement tiles, they are being used in classic, as well as contemporary, and modernist settings.