The Belgian industrial floor and wall tile

history

From the early Middle Ages onwards there was an important production of ceramic tiles in Belgium. In

the 16th century, Antwerp was even one of the most important European production centres of techni-

cally advanced majolica tiles. After the fall of Antwerp in 1585, our regions lost their leading position

and it was only from the second half of the 19th century that the tile industry regained importance,

both economically and artistically. Traditional production was complemented by modern ceramic indus-

try. We owe this mainly to the Boch family who introduced many important innovations in the ceramics

industry on the European continent.

In the 1850s they started with the introduction of the dust press technique and from 1846 with the pro-

duction of ‘encaustic tiles’ or inlaid floor tiles after the English example. These vitrified floor tiles almost

immediately became a great commercial success. New and often publicly accessible buildings such as

stations, hotels, town halls, libraries, etc. required not only visually attractive tiles but also durable and

easy-to-maintain building materials.

Tiles Céramiques de Chimay, Maufroid frères & sœurs – later on SA La Céramique de Bourlers, SA

Compagnie générale des Produits Céramiques de Saint-Ghislain, SA La Céramique Nationale, ... follo-

wed their example and became competitors.

Newly established factories such as the Carrelages Céramiques de Chimay, Maufroid frères & soeur;

the Compagnie Générale des Produits Céramiques de Saint-Ghislain; the S.A. des Carrelages et

Produits Céramiques de Chimay in Forges-lez-Chimay; La Céramique Nationale; the Compagnie des

Produits Céramiques de Saint-Remy; the Société Générale de Produits Réfractaires et Céramiques de

Morialmé; the Manufactures Céramiques d’Hemixem, Gilliot Frères from Hemiksem near Antwerp and

La Nouvelle Céramique Amay followed suit so that the competition and the worldwide reputation of

Belgian tile production grew.

In addition to the ceramic floor tile, the inlaid, mass-coloured cement tile also conquered the internatio-

nal market fairly quickly from about 1871 due to its favourable price-quality ratio and remained a much

sought-after Belgian product until the Second World War.

Cement tiles were generally less durable than ceramic tiles, but they were much less expensive and

difficult for laymen to distinguish from each other as shapes and motifs were largely similar.

This also gave the wall tile industry an impor-

tant boost. Soon, in addition to Neo-Gothic or

Neo-Renaissance designs, tiles influenced by

Persian or Oriental art also came on the mar-

ket. The offer paralleled the growing appreci-

ation for polychrome architecture. During the

Art Nouveau period, the various possibilities of

industrial wall tile in Belgium were fully exploi-

ted.

Although the leading architects of the Belgian

Art Nouveau movement – Henry van de Velde,

Paul Hankar and Victor Horta – quickly sho-

wed interest in the use of building ceramics,

it is mainly in the oeuvre of younger and les-

ser-known architects that the use of tiles, tile

panels or building ceramics is found in abun-

dance.

New companies were founded including, Baudoux & Cie, Maison

Helman and Manufactures Céramiques d’Hemixem - Gilliot Frères.

In 1914 Gilliot already produced no less than 250,000 tiles per day.

The First World War was a period of stagnation. Only afterwards

did production start up again. The dust pressed industrial tile was a

huge success because the product was then placed on a large scale,

even in workers’ homes.

Gradually, new stylistic ideas, including art deco and modernism,

together with the financial crisis and rising labour costs, quickly put

an end to the production of the decorated tiles. From then on peop-

le often chose plain tiles installed in mosaic patterns.

After the Second World War, it soon became clear that the Belgian tile industry could no longer com-

pete economically. One by one, almost all tile factories closed in the 1950s-1980s.

A flourishing industry in our national history was thus completely destroyed.

After research by dr. Mario Baeck

As you can deduce, the knowledge and soul of decorative wall and floor tiles is in the DNA of the Bel-

gian Revoir Paris. We still discover beautiful creations that inspire us regularly to develop unique new

collections.

Considering current colour and style trends as well as technical and ecological needs, we develop deco-

rative tiles that can be universally integrated.