Folded porcelain surface by Mutina with paper-fold relief

Folded by Mutina — the white cube you can walk on

Mutina

Raw Edges

Folded
Folded An icon of Italian design
$ 1,170

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Bespoke: size, colour, finish

American galleries and showrooms perfected the white cube — the neutral envelope that lets objects speak. Its floor, though, has always been a compromise: paint scuffs, resin yellows, concrete stains. Folded closes the loop: full-body extra white porcelain, 60×60 rectified, whose only ornament is a whisper of fold-line relief — three patterns, randomly mixed in every box — so the envelope stays neutral while the surface stays alive. Frost-proof, deep-abrasion compliant, V1 uniform batch after batch.

The design is Raw Edges' 2010 debut for Mutina (Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay — Designers of the Future at Design Miami/Basel, work in international museum collections): folded paper translated to stone, «a tension between the delicate appearance of paper and the durability of ceramics», with the repetitive tile patterns of mid-century Tel Aviv apartments as declared reference — recreated without color. Registered design (2011). 15% recycled declared for LEED 4.1, ISO 14001/9001 production.

Where the cube extends

Floor and wall, indoor and outdoor: galleries and showrooms, receptions, boardrooms, washrooms — R9 declared, wet barefoot zones to the designer's judgement. Skirting 3.8×60. Datasheet and certificates on this page.

Technical information based on data declared by the manufacturer.

Collection: Folded
Manufacturer: Mutina
Design: Raw Edges (Yael Mer, Shay Alkalay), 2010 — registered design no. 001912999-011 (2011)
Material: full-body extra white porcelain stoneware, 0.35 in, UNI EN 14411 App. G (BIa) UGL — rectified single-calibre slabs
Format: 24×24 in (23.6×23.6 in) — skirting 1.5×23.6 in
Range: 1 color extra white — 3 fold-line patterns randomly mixed in the box — V1 uniform variation
Use: floor and wall — indoor and outdoor
Declared values: absorption compliant (<0.5%) — frost-proof — deep abrasion compliant — acids/alkalis class A — stain class 4 — slip R9, Pendulum 51 dry/41 wet
Sustainability: 15% pre-consumer recycled (LEED 4.1); ISO 14001 and ISO 9001; EPD, HPD on request
Installation: several boxes, porcelain adhesive, 0.08 in joint with wedges, cement or epoxy grout; entrance mat recommended — Packing: 3 pcs/box (1.08 sqm / 11.6 sq ft), skirting 6 lm

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Documents and Catalogs

Mutina Catalogue Folded Catalogue Folded Technical Datasheet Folded Technical Guide, Laying & Maintenance Folded CAD & 3D Files

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FAQ

Why is Folded a better white-cube floor than paint, resin or concrete?
Because its white is constitutional, not applied: extra white runs through the full porcelain body (UGL), so scuffs and chips read white-on-white instead of exposing a gray core; deep abrasion is compliance-tested, stains rate class 4, chemicals class A - openings, casters and cleaning cycles pass through without repainting. And unlike any coating, it carries a design: fold-line relief that keeps large neutral fields alive under gallery lighting without ever competing with the work on the walls.
Does the relief distract from what's displayed?
It is calibrated not to: the folds are shallow scores - the memory of creased paper - that read as texture in ambient light and only articulate under raking light. Three patterns, randomly mixed in every box, prevent visible repeats without introducing a motif the eye would track. That was Raw Edges' declared game: recreating the repetitiveness of mid-century Tel Aviv floor patterns using fold lines alone, no color. The floor has presence; the art keeps the attention.
How does it hold up commercially?
On declared numbers: full-body porcelain under 0.5% absorption, frost-proof (the white cube can continue to a sculpture courtyard), deep-abrasion compliant, V1 uniform variation so reorders match years later - the collection has been in continuous production since 2010, registered design since 2011. Slip is R9 with Pendulum 51 dry/41 wet: confident for interior floors and dry or covered exteriors; wet barefoot zones go to the designer's judgement on the declared values.
What is the Raw Edges pedigree worth in a spec?
Documented credibility: Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay won Designers of the Future at Design Miami/Basel, hold work in international museum collections, and count Cappellini, Established & Sons, Moroso and Kvadrat among their collaborations; Folded was their Mutina debut, followed by Tex, Tape and Betty. For a gallery or brand space, that means the floor itself has provenance - quiet, but citable in every project narrative.
What documentation supports LEED or corporate reporting?
Declared: 15% pre-consumer recycled content (LEED 4.1 declaration), production certified ISO 14001 and ISO 9001, EPD and HPD available through La Mercanti for submittals. Practical file: 3 slabs per box (11.6 sq ft), skirting by the meter, 2 mm joints, entrance mat recommended by the datasheet - grit is the honest enemy of pale floors. Sample costs are fully credited at order confirmation.

Building the walkable white cube: Folded in five steps

Five moves for US architects and gallery teams: Raw Edges' debut from showroom floor to sculpture courtyard - neutrality with a pulse.

Extend the envelope down
Walls white, floor Folded: the cube closes without a material break - and continues outdoors, frost-proof, to courtyards.
Light it like the art
Track heads skimming the floor, side glazing, wall washers: the fold relief performs under the same raking light the work gets.
Trust the random mix
Three patterns pre-mixed per box: draw from several boxes, lay without a scheme - no repeats for the eye to track.
Read the traction honestly
R9, Pendulum 51/41: interior floors and dry exteriors with confidence; wet barefoot areas to the designer's call.
Order with reorders in mind
V1 uniform means future batches match: 3 slabs/box, skirting by the meter - La Mercanti computes wastage and coordinates freight.

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