In APE Grupo’s new Arka ceramic wall tile collection, light, relief, and color create ever-changing surfaces. Through smooth and textured pieces, two formats, and a palette of 10 shades, the collection offers architects and interior designers a flexible system for creating compositions of very different kinds.
The collection draws on the traces that time leaves on stone, metal, and mineral pigments. Erosion, patinas, and the chromatic variations inherent in these materials are translated into ceramics from a contemporary perspective. Rather than literally reproducing nature, Arka interprets its capacity to transform and acquire new nuances.
Light as a design material
Arka’s character emerges from the dialogue between relief and light. Its satin finish captures illumination subtly, while the different geometries generate a succession of shadows and reflections that evolve throughout the day.
The surface therefore ceases to be perceived as a static plane—depending on the angle and intensity of the light, new depths, rhythms, and visual variations emerge. Even a monochromatic composition can take on different readings and alter the atmosphere of a space without resorting to other resources.
In Arka, light does not simply act on architecture; it becomes part of it.
An open system for composition
The collection combines a smooth piece with three relief designs—Arka, Ona, and Forma—which can be used independently or integrated within the same surface. This structure makes it possible to create continuous expanses, introduce transitions in texture, or concentrate relief in specific areas to reinforce the identity of a space.
The 5.8cm x 11.6cm (roughly 2.3” x 4.6”) and 11.6cm x 11.6cm (roughly 4.6” x 4.6”) formats multiply the installation possibilities and allow compositions to be adapted to different scales and programs. The modular arrangement can maintain a calm, regular rhythm or take on a more expressive presence through the combination of geometries, orientations, and textures.
Rather than proposing a single aesthetic solution, Arka offers a repertoire of pieces that allow each project to find its own balance between continuity, volume, and color.
10 colors, different atmospheres
The color palette comprises 10 shades that explore a wide variety of registers: the luminosity of White and Bone; the earthy warmth of Cotto; the mineral nuances of Steel and Silver; the intensity of Blue, Green and Teal; the depth of Night; and the distinctive character of Golden.
Combined with the satin finish and reliefs, each color establishes a different relationship with light. The same geometry can create a warm, natural atmosphere, take on an urban and industrial expression, or blend into more sophisticated and enveloping settings.
Color, format and texture are thus combined within a common language that can adapt to understated, minimalist schemes or compositions with a stronger visual presence. Arka turns the ceramic surface into an active element of the project: a material that changes with the light and transforms the perception of space.
About APE Grupo
APE Grupo is a leading Spanish company focused on creating distinctive spaces through a wide range of ceramic floor and wall tiles together with advanced technical solutions for architecture and interior design. Though established as a business group in 2016, APE Grupo’s history dates back 30 years. The ceramic company comprises the brands APE, Carmen, XLINING, and Ilbagno, as well as a technical office that provides advanced architectural and interior design solutions. The group markets its products both nationally and internationally and is present in more than 125 countries worldwide thanks to its reinvestment and ongoing expansion strategy. Eighty-four percent of its sales are generated in international markets, with France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Spain among its main destinations.
