MIPA (Manifattura Italiana Pavimenti Artistici) focuses on research and technological innovation to create finely crafted products from marble terrazzo, a natural and environmentally-friendly material. All ingredients are natural: marble powder and grains, white cement and natural oxides. No synthetic binders, no printed surfaces, no ceramic firing process. Mipa graniglia is composed of up to 80% recycled marble. MIPA products are entirely made in Italy.
The mixture is first blended with special mixers used in the pharmaceutical industry, then poured into moulds, vibrated at an adequate frequency and compacted at high pressure. After removing excess water and air by means of state-of-the-art technologies, the mixture is cured in temperature- and humidity-controlled chambers. The removal of water and air markedly reduces the porosity and increases mechanical and physical performance. The result is a marble terrazzo tile only 11 mm thick, something unimaginable a few years ago. Our technology partners are Mapei and Italcementi, and testing on the quality of materials is carried out in collaboration with the University of Modena.
Formats
From 10×10 cm up to 120×120 cm (approx. 4×4 in to 48×48 in)
Slabs and Seeds: large format
Custom formats on request
Thickness: 11 mm up to 20×20 (Classic: 12.5 mm) · 20 mm from 30×30 · 120×120: 30 mm for floors, 20 mm for walls
Surface finish
Classic (polish in situ) · Light Lux (polished) · Light Mat (honed) · Light Bloom (brushed) · Rock’n’Roll (antiqued)
Performance data
Standard: EN 13748-1 (CE certified)
Slip resistance: R10 (R9/R10/R11 on request)
Breaking strength: >1300 N (EN ISO 10545-4)
Water absorption: <6% (EN ISO 10545-3)
Chemical resistance: Class UB (EN ISO 10545-13)
Frost resistance: yes
Underfloor heating: compatible
Collections
Plain colours: 22 colours
Rug-effect and border decors
Cuba and Puerto Rico
Optical Trips, design Meneghello Paolelli
Modulo
Slabs: large format terrazzo, 14 colours, up to 120×120 cm
Seeds
Design
Laura Renna (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Seeds, Slabs)
Studiocharlie (Cubi rug-effect decors, Monomateria collection)
Meneghello Paolelli (Optical Trips)
M+A+P DESIGNstudio (Stefano Maffei, Venanzio Arquilla, Barbara Parini)
From its very conception, Mipa activated the recovery of the original cast bronze moulds from the scattering of antique manufacturing sites that had been left abandoned throughout the Italian peninsula. Mipa also sought to understand, by speaking to the original craftsmen, the secrets of the body mixes: the recipes for the raw ingredients of water, marble granules and chips, cement and natural oxide colorants. Each day at Mipa, expert hands, using copper ladles, work the liquid body mix, then fill the bronze moulds that will reproduce the decorative tiles. Graniglia has made possible the restoration of historic buildings, such as the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan and the Ex Collegio S. Marco in Siena.
The Cinema Modernissimo, operated by the Cineteca di Bologna, reopened in 2023 after fifteen years of restoration. Mipa supplied the complete flooring specification: the Elena Egizia decorative border running through all public areas, guiding visitors towards the auditorium as it did when the cinema first opened in 1915.
All MIPA collections are 100% resin-free: cement is the sole binder in our aggregates. MIPA material is completely non-combustible and certified Class A1. MIPA materials are exempt from VOC emissions testing thanks to their naturally non-flammable composition. A terrazzo floor that lasts over 50 years with standard maintenance is a more sustainable specification than a material replaced every 15–20 years. Mipa graniglia is restorable: a worn surface is re-ground and re-polished in situ, not removed and disposed of. EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) available on request.
Colour: from the catalogue, or custom-matched to Pantone, NCS, RAL or a physical swatch. Colour development sample: 3–4 weeks. Mipa supplies technical documentation for project specifications: CE declaration of performance, product datasheets and installation guidelines. Sample tiles are available from the Mipa shop or on request, with worldwide shipping. Samples for design approval are dispatched within 5 working days. Mipa has received praise from the design world, including selection for the ADI Design Index, the Invaders collection at The New Italian Design exhibition by Triennale di Milano, and the Premio Impresa & Cultura in 1999. Contact: professional@mipadesign.it
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