Alhambra Collection by Álvaro Catalán de Ocón
Updated: Dec 8, 2019
There was a double challenge: creating a visually appealing object for both bidimensional and tridimensional perspectives, with different materials, such as cement, Alhambra glass bottles, marble gravel and colour pigments. The vivid colours and different textures create a joyful combination that allows one to enjoy a full touch experience but at the same time it raises an aura of mystery about its making of.
The contrasts become literally palpable: the porosity of the cement mixes with the polished look of the glass, while the opacity and transparency of the materials encourages one to have a closer and curios look at the piece.
People use all their senses in order to understand the junction points of the materials and the intriguing created shapes which seem to go deeper and hide their volumes into the cement.
Firstly, the three types of Alhambra glass bottles –Alhambra Especial, Alhambra Reserva 1925 and Alhambra Reserva Roja– were filled up with cement, coloured resin with marble gravel. Once the coloured terrazzo sets and hardens inside the bottles they were carefully placed into a mould filled with white terrazzo. When the block became compact and solid, it was ready to be shaped as desired in order to create a typography.
