The French concern Terreal - the largest manufacturer of natural flat and Mediterranean tiles, as well as ventilated facades made of terracotta and decorative finishing of all types of buildings - has been present on the Russian market for more than ten years. During this time, Terreal products have become synonymous with quality, thanks to their high physical and chemical properties, loyalty to tradition and, at the same time, following the trends of the modern construction industry. Materials produced at factories in France and Portugal have long established themselves as reliable, durable, energy-saving, environmentally friendly and aesthetic. It is not surprising that today the products of this company in our country, where there was no tradition of using tiles, is in such great demand. The scope extends both to private housing construction and cottage settlements, and to large urban objects and residential complexes. Terreal products are distinguished by their approach and offer Russian consumers all types of natural terracotta tiles.
Daria Krutova-Masve, export manager for Eastern Europe of the Terreal concern, talks about the novelties of the Terreal concern presented on the Russian market and the latest trends in the production of tiles and terracotta facades.
“Terreal is a company that produces a wide range of terracotta materials for roofing, ventilated facades and decorative finishes. The main segment is, of course, natural tiles. There are sixteen tile factories in France, the first of which was founded in the middle of the 19th century. The company has been present on the Russian market since 2006. For ten years of successful activity, many high-class projects have been implemented using our materials. Among them it is worth noting the cottage settlements - "Little Italy", "Grace", "Polyanka de Lux", "Europe" and many others. For these villages, the tiles were mainly of elite brands - "Roman Kanal" … (specify what else). Little Italy is a project with which the concern, together with our partner, the Ladny Dom company, entered the Russian market. In Russia, this settlement became one of the very first elite settlements built in the same architectural style. The first stage involved the construction of townhouses using Terreal tiles. The second phase included individual cottages, for which Terreal roof tiles were also used.
Large projects - office buildings, business and shopping centers - are being implemented much longer than settlements and private houses. But the result is worth it. Many realizations in the field of large-scale urban construction took place in 2012–2014. It is worth mentioning here the Rosso Riva business complex on Paveletskaya, where single-layer tiles were used, and, of course, the Olympia Park business center on Leningradskoye Shosse, for which Portuguese-made tiles were used. One of the most memorable housing projects was the Italian Quarter complex on Novoslobodskaya Street, realized by Mikhail Filippov's workshop. This is one of the first houses to use ceramic tiles from Terreal (Roman-Kanal model).
In 2015, when due to the crisis, the volume of construction significantly decreased, our products remained in demand due to private housing construction. Terreal offers over 60 models and 300 colors to suit any request. Modern elite construction is based on the principles of naturalness and environmental friendliness. Therefore, shingles are actively used both in the traditional combination with stone and in a rather interesting combination with wood. And the heavier the shingle, the better it affects the shrinkage of the house.
Terreal entered the Russian market ten years ago. The choice of tiles and terracotta facades was then extremely limited. At the same time, low-quality and cheap materials were actively sold. Unfortunately, today, due to the crisis, there is a return to the past, and the consumer again turns to inexpensive materials of dubious quality. But Terreal retains its position as a leader in the production of natural tiles and terracotta facades, despite strong competition from Vietnamese and Chinese manufacturers, who are actively exploring the Russian and world markets. We are well acquainted with their cheaper products, since a large commercial office of the concern has been operating in China for a long time, serving to supply European tiles to the country. Terreal in China, of course, does not produce anything, but China, when it comes to the construction of high-quality and durable buildings, buys French and Portuguese products willingly and in large quantities. You have to understand that there are no miracles, quality is always behind the price. And if the Chinese themselves prefer to use terracotta and tiles produced in France and Portugal for their projects, this already speaks volumes.
As for the Russian counterparts, there are a lot of problems here as well. A number of tile manufacturers are represented in our country. I'm not talking about terracotta facades now, no one in Russia produces them. But Russian tiles are widely represented, mainly cement-sand samples, which, unfortunately, are noticeably inferior to European counterparts. Despite the fact that a domestic manufacturer buys good production lines abroad, it has not yet been possible to establish production at the same level. It is easy to compare this with baking bread: you can open as many French bakeries in Russia as you want, but the most delicious French baguette can only be baked in France. It's the same with terracotta: the best material has been made for centuries in Portugal, Italy and France.
Terreal has four partners in the field of tiles in Russia - these are Doctor Shifer, Architail, Ladny Dom and Unicma
The Architail company works mainly with elite materials, relying on expensive items. For several years of work in Russia, Architail has supplied Terreal natural ceramic tiles to many private residences and cottages in the Moscow region and the central region of Russia. Terreal tiles of the “shingle” model in different colors are especially popular with Russian architects and customers.
Terreal differs markedly from other manufacturers of roof tiles and terracotta façades by being a pioneer of know-how. Terreal is a 100% terracotta production, without any impurities. We have always worked and continue to work with world famous architects such as Jean Nouvel and Richard Rogers, because it is our products that meet the highest operational, technical and aesthetic requirements. Terreal is a traditional, classic material that remains modern and in demand in the 21st century”.
