Strata

Situated within seven courtyards of a new complex of artisan’s workshops in Fez’s medina, design by Michel Mossessian. Strata’s pattern appropriates both the ancient tradition of Moroccan tile design and sixties minimalist art. Whereas traditional tile design is rooted in the repeated motif, this design is ever-evolving. Each part of the design is unique, as colours and shapes modulate along the horizontal and vertical axes. Commencing at the top of the courtyard each façade hosts a single colour. These colours start to cross-pollinate as the geometric shapes are progressively divided. Diamond shapes transform into stars and crosses. From this point the pattern’s complexity grows and mutates until it takes on the form of geometric patterns from Al-Attarin Madrasa in the heart of the medina in Fez. From this stage on, the pattern breaks down as a fractal. To the casual observer each pattern appears to be identical, but subtle variations are introduced to facilitate the fractals, as if
 a virus has entered the system. Seemingly under pressure from the weight of the design above, the pattern progressively compresses, until it reaches the basement level, revealing the finest grain of the intricate tile design.