Nyra: the collection of surfaces designed by Alberto Apostoli for Atlas Concorde inspired by Wellness Architecture
A family of stone-effect ceramic surfaces conceived to meet any design requirement, inspired by the principles of wellbeing.
Nyra is a comprehensive collection that draws inspiration from stone – from its tactile presence, the visual diversity enriched with mineral inclusions and diffuse veining, and the iridescent effects revealed when light strikes the material. In this collection, designed by Alberto Apostoli for Atlas Concorde, stone is only the starting point. The surfaces also reference other materials – such as cork and textiles – reinterpreted in their most essential characteristics and expressed through a new visual language.
The result of this aesthetic research is a palette of unique shades and textures that evoke ancestral sensations of ‘already lived’ perceptions – familiar and reassuring – contributing to the creation of multisensory environments where visual, tactile, and emotional interactions merge into a holistic experience of wellbeing that permeates and defines the designed space.
“The goal of Wellness Architecture is to express a new paradigm for imagining space, with the individual at its centre. Considered not merely in terms of the efficiency of layout and function, but above all in relation to emotion, space becomes an environment that nurtures the individual and surrounds them with beneficial sensations, conveyed through a sensory harmony emanating from the materials in a reciprocal dialogue,” explains Alberto Apostoli. “Nyra’s strength lies in its ability to create an ‘other’ environment that dissolves the perceived barriers between interior and exterior, forming a seamless continuum. The result is a singular aesthetic whole composed of a new, living, and vibrant material.”
Designed for hospitality, contract, and residential sectors, Nyra can be used both indoors and outdoors – for wall and floor coverings, furniture customisation, and countertops, as well as for the creation of 3D structures, decorative elements, and mosaics.
The collection is available in seven colourways – Star, Hay, Sunlight, Mist, Meteor, Charcoal, and Ambrosia – spanning full, deep, and luminous shades of white, cream, grey, and black, to visually rich conglomerates featuring material inclusions of varying sizes that provide new chromatic depth and realism.
3D Saddle and 3D Qube are the two three-dimensional proposals: the former featuring horizontal grooves, the latter a geometric texture of small, evenly sized squares enhanced with perpendicular and parallel graphic lines. Designed for wall cladding, both recall the artisanal heritage of stoneworking and play with the chiaroscuro effects generated by the 3D relief, resulting in dynamic, theatrically inspired settings.
Finally, Favus and Opus are Nyra’s two mosaic interpretations. The latter – also in its name – recalls the ancient Roman building technique characterised by a pattern of small square blocks set at a 45-degree angle, while the former draws inspiration from the hexagonal cells of honeycomb structures.
Nyra thus opens the door to multiple decorative expressions and design possibilities. The collection also inaugurates Nyra World, a new chapter dedicated to Atlas Concorde’s latest stone-effect ceramic surfaces. Here, the reference to natural stone is reinterpreted through the creativity of architects and designers in a variety of finishes, tones, and textures, and brought to life through the technology and expertise of the brand – one of the leading players in the international ceramics industry.