| Resumo: | The use of ceramic tiles has contributed to the construction of a cultural identity in Portugal and can be considered a fundamental element of interior design and architecture. The tradition of azulejo has enabled the role that wall tiles have played over time in the qualification of spaces and environments to be valued, revealing a differentiating and enhancing resource for the visual and functional qualities of designed environments. The present study seeks to examine how the artistic and technical characteristics of ceramic tiles interfere with the qualitative perception of designed spaces, from the perspective of their relationship with the user and with the supporting architectural structure. Considering the differentiation between artistic and industrial ceramic know-how of production and how they influence the nature of these relationships, the study elaborates a historical analysis that seeks to understand the roots of this phenomenon in the proximity of design culture, corresponding to a temporal horizon between the Industrial Revolution and Modern Design. The practical field of this study covers and evaluates the contribution of ceramic tiling as a solution in the field of interior design and environments, understanding its interdisciplinary use as a qualifying factor of spaces developed by five personalities whose works have undeniable relevance to the subject under investigation: Maria Keil, Álvaro Siza Vieira, Gio Ponti, Rem Koolhaas and Cecília de Sousa. The research of the works and their context made it possible to elaborate a mapping that includes selected international cases within the period limited to the second half of the 20th century, with the aim of understanding the procedures and design strategies of prominent artists, designers and architects. All of them integrated cladding ceramics into their work, pointing to the consolidation of na interdisciplinary design perspective |