Mosaic of Bratislava: Hidden Tiles and Facades is the result of exceptional research by Júlia Itin and photographer Štefan Cipár, who over several years gained access to hundreds of historic houses across the wider center of Bratislava. In collaboration with the civic association Čierne diery, the book maps the period between 1870 and 1930—an era marked by fascination with non-European cultures and the pursuit of illusion and luxury through the imitation of rare or inaccessible materials.

This fascination with play, ornament, and illusion became the foundation of the book’s design. We worked with special printing techniques that add visual depth and tactile richness—for example, an illusion of a colored shadow that subtly draws the eye toward the spine. This optical element also appears on the cover, where two Pantone shades used inside the book are combined with full-surface embossing.

The cover itself is meant to be a tactile experience. We chose a seemingly straightforward but meaningful approach—a collage made from real tiles featured in the book. We then reinterpreted this collage as a metal embossing plate, emphasizing the relief and texture of the surfaces and connecting the visual language of the book with its subject matter on a material level. The design plays with optics, color, and touch, celebrating craftsmanship—both historical and contemporary.

The publication was nominated for the Slovak National Design Award 2024.