In Alella’s earthy-toned townscape, the new cultural building by FEM called for a façade element that could both protect and belong. From this need emerged Aina, a triangular ceramic lattice created with Ceràmica Cumella. Initially designed for the Alella Auditorium, it soon became more than a functional component, evolving into a design object in its own right. Based on a simple geometric truth – the triangle – two complementary pieces, one solid and one perforated, allow endless combinations. Rational in principle yet poetic in outcome, Aina creates façades animated by light, shadow, and rhythm.

Aina embodies both craft and innovation. Each ceramic piece recalls clay shaped by fire, finished in matte or glossy glazes that play with depth and reflection. Matte surfaces absorb light with quietness, while glossy ones scatter fleeting brightness, making façades appear alive and ever-changing. Sunlight filtering through the perforations casts triangular shadows across interiors, shifting and dissolving with the hours. Outside, the alternation of solid and void reduces the scale of larger volumes, blending architecture into its context. In this interplay of material and light, Aina transforms façades into surfaces that breathe and respond to their surroundings.

More than a lattice, Aina is a system of possibilities. Its reversible triangular modules create infinite patterns, unique to each project. Subtle variations of thickness ensure continuity outside and concavity inside, enriching both views. Color expands its vocabulary, from earthy hues that echo masonry to bold tones that emphasize geometry. This adaptability reflects FEM’s philosophy: architecture precise yet responsive, grounded yet open. While born in Alella, Aina is conceived as universal – a mediator between openness and shelter, tradition and modernity. A small element, endlessly repeated, capable of reshaping how buildings are perceived and how they belong.

In Alella, the new auditorium required more than architecture: it needed acoustic adaptability. A polyvalent hall could not rely on a single profile, as each performance—symphonic, chamber, cinema, or amplified—demands different sound conditions. To answer this, FEM collaborated with Ceràmica Cumella to create two black ceramic modules: Mambo and Mamba. Far from being construction units, they are sculpted surfaces designed to absorb and reflect sound. Their convex and concave geometries transform the walls into instruments in themselves, giving the space the flexibility to resonate with different voices. The goal was clear: make adaptability intrinsic to the auditorium, not through equipment, but through material design.

Mambo’s central protrusion absorbs sound, while Mamba’s broad face reflects and distributes it. When combined, they balance reflection and absorption, enhancing clarity while reducing echoes. Orientation adds flexibility: each piece can face upward or downward, enabling different acoustic effects through simple shifts. This modular system allows designers to compose diagonal patterns, alternating rhythms, or gradients. In Alella, the walls were tuned accordingly: closer to the stage, reflection dominated; towards the back, absorption increased. The result is a woven surface of shadow and relief that appears decorative but is in fact performative. Adaptability comes not from equipment or machinery, but from the very arrangement of the ceramics embedded into the walls.

The choice of black ceramic made the walls visually recessive, ensuring focus remained on the stage. Under light, their relief produces subtle highlights, enhancing depth without distraction. Ceràmica Cumella’s craftsmanship ensured robust yet precise modules, consistent in acoustic behavior while durable in construction. Clay became an acoustic instrument, fired and calibrated to shape sound. The result unites rational geometry with poetic atmosphere: a dark ceramic tapestry that absorbs, reflects, and diffuses with nuance. In Alella, Mambo and Mamba reveal how small modules can define entire spaces. The auditorium does not simply host sound—it curates it, offering clarity and resonance to each performance through a wall system that is both material and musical.