WHY ARE 2TEC2 AND LIMITED EDITION EXCELLING THIS YEAR AT THE WORLD EXPO IN DUBAI?

The 2tec2 woven vinyl flooring and tailormade high-end rugs by Limited Edition have been cropping up in the most prestigious projects for years. However, we’ve never taken part in a world expo. Even so, renowned architects Vincent Callebaut and Assar insisted that 2tec2 and Limited Edition play a pivotal role in ‘their’ Belgian pavilion in Dubai. Why, you ask? Here are the reasons.

This year, the 35^th world expo is taking place in the Middle East for the first time. More than 200 countries are participating in this edition, one of which is Belgium with ‘The Green Arch’, an ingenious pavilion no less than 2,180m² in size, designed by architects Vincent Callebaut and ASSAR Architects. The pavilion will feature an exhibition, Belgian souvenir shops, a business centre and a gastro-brasserie with rooftop terrace. Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut – globally lauded for his visionary and eco-centric designs such as a carbon absorbing tower in Taipei – has also focused on preservation of the environment in designing the Belgian pavilion. So, ‘The Belgian Green Arch’ makes generous use of natural light and ventilation, renewable energy sources, a highly ingenious water system and … woven, acoustic 2tec2 vinyl tiles and tailormade rugs from Limited Edition. But why have ASSAR and Vincent Callebaut chosen us? Because of a combination of plus points.

Global collaboration with architects
First of all, the architects knew well in advance that they’d feel right at home with 2tec2. This is, after all, certainly not the first time that 2tec2 and Limited Edition have collaborated with internationally-renowned architects. As an example, we recently had the honour of supplying the central Paris headquarters of champagne maker Moët Hennessy with 8,000m² of 2tec2 (diamond pattern!) acoustic flooring and an entire series of exclusive, custom-made Limited Edition rugs in different colour gradations, based on a design by architecture consultancy Barbarito Bancel. But we also work closely with the most demanding architects in countries like Japan, Monaco, Switzerland, the UK, the USA and South Korea.

Made to order
This very obvious chemistry with architects is not just a result of the extraordinary quality of our products. It’s also because of the fact that architects can mould the design, the materials and the colours to suit their own specifications. When they come to our office, they meet with our passionate designers, developers and researchers. And our woven vinyl tiles and rugs aren’t manufactured in faraway countries, but right here in Belgium. Architects can visit our factories in Mouscron in person, which is always a unique and prized experience. In other words, we offer them very short design and manufacture lines of communication. This is something that they love because they can genuinely brainstorm their ideas with us to determine what’s possible and what’s not. New opportunities often emerge from these discussions. For example, Covid-19 secure standing room for visitors to the Belgian pavilion at the World Expo is not designated by coloured markings on the floor, but instead by footstep cut-outs in the 2tec2 flooring. This is an idea that arose from one of our many meetings with ASSAR Architects.

Unheard-of sustainability
Architect Vincent Callebaut is especially renowned for his visionary ideas on sustainability. He has, for instance, covered the Belgian pavilion with 10,000 local plants that absorb CO2 and reduce the interior temperature by 3-5 °C. And the pavilion itself is energy positive, which means that it produces more energy than it consumes. So, sustainability was one of his first demands when it came to the 2tec2 flooring. Fortunately, we could immediately reassure him, given that our products last three to four times longer than conventional floor coverings. In Japan, for example, we supplied the flooring for one of the biggest shopping centres in the country, the 247,000 m² Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens. Every day, more than 20,000 people tread on our flooring, which will retain its brand-new look for years thanks to its amazing durability. Besides being durable over time, our products are also environmentally sustainable. After all, the environment plays a pivotal role when it comes to 2tec2 and Limited Edition Rugs. To us, window dressing and greenwashing are out of the question. We limit our dependency on non-renewable energy sources by using solar energy and heat recuperation, while we use no phthalates or heavy metals in our manufacturing processes. In our design too, we prioritise environmentally-friendly care so that customers can use water instead of chemical pollutants. Finally, 70% of the acoustic backing on our floor tiles consists of recycled PET materials, while our tiles and rolls are made of innovative substances like fibreglass and vinyl. This means that they last for at least ten years, even when subjected to intensive daily use.

Collaboration with local contractors in faraway countries
One last trump card that has undoubtedly benefitted us is our international experience. As you might expect, laying a floor in Dubai is very different to laying a floor in Paris. Our people worked around clock in the harshest of conditions, braving sandstorms and average temperatures of 40 °C with highs that topped 50 °C. And unfortunately, the know-how of local contractors often wasn’t quite as good as what we’re used to in the western world. So, we didn’t just use our reliable regional partners, but also sent our Belgian technical experts to assist and share knowledge. The operating procedure was similarly different: as a result of huge time constraints, everything was installed at once instead of consecutively in coherent order. So, once complete and in place, our floors were covered in rubble, sand, plaster and paint. But – to great relief of the construction team and especially contractor Besix and architects ASSAR and Vincent Callebaut – our floors looked good as new after just a few chemical-free washes! Just as well, because 10,000 visitors per day in extraordinarily sandy surroundings mean that our floor products must be able to withstand rough treatment and facilitate quick and effective cleaning.

Belgian pavilion in top 5
The Belgian pavilion has meanwhile earned a spot in the top 5 best pavilions at the World Expo. So don’t hesitate to see the pavilion and our expertise for yourself before the end of March ’22 in Dubai! What’s more, you can visit the rooftop terrace of the Belgian pavilion to see a breath-taking view, a unique and spectacular sunset and – of course – our splendid Limited Edition outdoor rugs, fully manufactured from recycled 2tec2 material. Just like the 2tec2 tiles, these rugs are 100% recyclable. With this, we’ve come full circle…

We at Limited Edition & 2tec2 are pleased to invite you to our exclusive FACTORY TOUR VISIT where you will have an exclusive company visit and the opportunity to network and catch up at the same time.

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