Cersaie 2014 is off to a great start as per usual, and amongst the many international exhibitors, Turkish companies are looking to make a strong impression. It’s an excellent opportunity for people to be informed about the latest materials, their evolving production techniques and the changes they are bringing to the bathroom landscape.

Turkishceramics are offering you the chance to catch your breath and refresh during the building industry’s most important ceramics exhibition, with a program of unmissable events. First of all we’ve reserved a seat for you on the evening of the 24^th of September for what will no doubt be one of the highlight of this year’s exhibition.

Turkishceramics are proud to present a long awaited collaboration between two musical greats. World famous Turkish pianist Kerem Görsev and versatile percussionist Ayhan Sicimoğlu, known for their technical and ambient style of play, are taking to the stage together with their latest musical project. Performing Jazz and Latin songs, they will be accompanied by elegant Cuban vocalist Suami Ramirez as well as two familiar and highly popular faces of the Turkish Jazz scene, drummer Ferit Odman and double bassist Kağan Yıldı of the Kerem Görsev Trio. Make sure you save the date for this special Turkishceramics event.

“EACH SETTLEMENT OF MEN DEPENDS ON A SUFFICIENT WATER SUPPLY.” ANON.

Running concurrently with Cersaie this year, the heart of Bologna’s historical centre comes alive for the 3^rd time with the Bologna Water Design exhibition, celebrating both water and design. Turkishceramics is participating in Bologna Water Design with the presentation of the spectacular water kiosk project organised by The Architects’ Journal and Turkishceramics and designed by leading British architects.

http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/events/kiosk/top-architects-join-aj-to-design-a-tiled-kiosk-for-london/8656933.article

Before detailing the Kiosk Project we’d like to share some striking facts about water which will also be presented to the visitors at various exhibitions, installations or events at BWD.

Water was first bottled and sold by Hiram Ricker in Poland Spring, Maine, USA in 1845.

It was sold as a cure to kidney ailments, but today it is acknowledged that in the developed world bottled water is no healthier than tap water. For instance, in the U.K., bottled water is subject to far less stringent safety tests than tap water, making it more likely to be contaminated or become a source of infection.
Bottled water costs on average 500 times more than tap water. Yet the rate of consumption of bottled water more than quadrupled between 1990 and 2005 ⁽¹⁾. Why is the sale of bottled water still increasing? Convenience? Taste? Advertising? Fashion? 200 billion bottles of water are sold around the world each year ⁽²⁾.

Bottled water doesn’t just impact consumers wallets. It takes 3 litres of water to produce 1 litre of bottled water ⁽³⁾. Importing bottled water on average emits 600 times more CO₂ than tap water ⁽⁴⁾. A tree only absorbs 1 tonne of CO₂ in its lifetime, whilst the UK bottled water industry emits 350,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year. That’s the equivalent amount of CO2 produced from: ⁽⁵⁾

running 140,000 small-medium cars

feeding 167,000 people

heating 234,000 homes

But it is not just the manufacture and transportation of bottled water that is harmful. Ever wondered where that bottle you just threw away will end up? Plastic does not simply disappear, it takes over 400 years to degrade. The plastic water bottle you drank from today won’t degrade until 2414. That’s when your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great- great-great- great-grandchildren will be alive.

10% of the plastic manufactured worldwide ends up in the ocean. Today, every square mile of the ocean has over 46,000 pieces of plastic floating in it. This plastic is swept by currents in the ocean creating huge garbage patches. The National Science Foundation has suggested that one of these patches is nearly as large as the continental U.S ⁽⁶⁾ and is still growing.

Bottled water may be convenient, but it is expensive, bad for the environment and no healthier than tap water.

What did we do before bottled water?

Wells have been culturally significant for thousands of years. They were once at the heart of every village, sustaining daily life. The world’s oldest known well, located in modern-day Cyprus, dates back to 7500 BC. The village well created a meeting place – a place to both collect water and socialize. Drinking and gathering developed hand in hand world-over, offering a place to socialize and rest like the Turkish kiosk, the British pub or the modern-day office water cooler.

In Europe, modern day pumping and water systems have made water wells redundant, but drinking fountains remain a social hub of many villages, towns and cities. Yet there are many dry spots in most European cities where you can’t find a public water system to fill your bottle, so there is still some way to go.

The KIOSK exhibition, organised by architecture magazine the Architects’ Journal and Turkishceramics promotion group, features Ottoman inspired designs by some of the world’s most talented architects. This includes 2012 London Olympic Games architects Zaha Hadid Architects and Hopkins Architects, Eric Parry Architects, ADAM Architecture, Studio Weave, and Google HQ architect Allford Hall Monaghan Morris. The architects were challenged to design a drinking water dispensing structure that incorporates ceramics and considers the architectural history of the kiosk.

For more details:

Zaha Hadid Architects

Hopkins Architects

Eric Parry Architects

ADAM Architecture

Studio Weave

Google HQ architect Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

Rory Olcayto, Acting Editor of the Architects’ Journal will host a seminar with architects who participated in the KIOSK project on the 24th September at 16:30, titled ‘Kicking the bottle’. A drinks reception will follow the discussion.

Please celebrate with us the launch of the KIOSK exhibition in Bologna and join our little pinning game, to decide where to place the 6 water kiosks in Bologna together with the visitors.

SOURCES:

www.stjohns.edu/academics/provost/announcements/dialogues/water/water/history.stj

www.tapwater.org

(1)  Li, Ling (2007) ‘Bottled Water Consumption Jumps’ Worldwatch Institute November 8

(2)  Royte E (2008) ‘A Fountain on Every Corner’ The New York Times 23rd May

(3)  www.bottledwaterfreeday.ca

(4) www.thameswater.co.uk/wiseuptowater/why_reduce.html

(5) McCandless D (2009) Information is Beautiful Collins London

(6)  www.katu.com