SICIS steps up the game in aquatic architecture with a transformative take on swimming pool design, turning decorative glass into a glowing, underwater surface. At the private residence known as Olympic Villa in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the Italian brand showcases the potential of its signature glass panel system, Vetrite, applied in a fully submerged, illuminated installation. 

Unlike traditional pools that reflect their environment, this one emits a luminous glow from beneath the surface. Made possible by the patented Neptune system, the project merges SICIS’ technical expertise with a purpose-built lighting solution engineered specifically for underwater use. Vetrite panels from the Gem Glass collection create a mineral-inspired pattern that lights up the water both day and night, enhancing the pool’s presence as an immersive and ever-changing visual centerpiece.

swimming pool at Olympic Villa glows with SICIS’ Vetrite decorative glass panels | all images courtesy of SICIS

FROM MOSAIC TO UNDERWATER INNOVATION WITH DECORATIVE GLASS

For centuries, decorative glass was largely considered too delicate for the demanding conditions of aquatic environments. Integrating it safely and effectively below water required technical reinvention. That’s where SICIS comes in. Known for its roots in fine mosaic craftsmanship, the Italian brand has continuously expanded its material research to develop surfaces that balance artistic impact with structural resilience.

Based in Ravenna — the historic heart of Italian mosaic — SICIS draws on traditions of manual skill and visual storytelling to inform its contemporary production methods. What began as a vision to modernize the mosaic has evolved into a full-spectrum interior design brand, encompassing furniture, lighting, textiles, and architectural surfaces.

Vetrite surfaces from the Gem Glass collection bring depth and luminosity to the water

BACKLIT TECHNOLOGY DESIGNED FOR AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS

Vetrite, the material at the heart of the Olympic Villa project, is a large-format decorative surface made by fusing glass with polymer films. Its unique composition lends visual depth and a gem-inspired translucency, while maintaining the durability required for challenging environments, including underwater applications.

For this particular installation, 120×120 cm slabs from the Vetrite Gem Glass collection were cut and arranged in a bookmatch layout, ensuring that the mineral-inspired pattern repeats symmetrically across the pool’s surface. The result is a continuous, flowing aesthetic that echoes natural crystal formations — organic yet meticulously controlled.

SICIS’ patented Neptune system enables fully submerged lighting beneath decorative glass

Bringing this vision to life beneath the surface is Neptune, SICIS’ patented system engineered for submerged backlighting. It uses a very low voltage power supply, ensuring total safety even in direct contact with water. A specialized matrix evenly distributes light, accentuating the visual complexity of the material while withstanding water pressure, humidity, and temperature changes.

The effect is a pool that emits a stable, ambient glow — visible even during the day and dramatically intensified at night. When illuminated, the Vetrite surface comes alive, shimmering with aquatic tones and revealing intricate layers of light and texture. During daylight hours, it reflects its surroundings with subtlety and elegance.

the mineral-inspired pattern transforms the pool into a dynamic visual centerpiece

The Vetrite and Neptune combination is designed for widespread use in luxury resorts, wellness centers, and spa environments, offering architects and designers a way to integrate light and surface in a single, unified gesture. Collections like the Gem Glass provide a range of visual options, each customizable in format, finish, and lighting intensity.

glass and light converge to create an immersive swimming experience at Olympic Villa

the surface collections provide a range of visual options, each customizable in format, finish, and lighting intensity

underneath the surface, SICIS’ neptune system integrates lighting for a custom underwater performance

the project demonstrates SICIS’ technical mastery in underwater surface applications

project info: 

name: Vetrite

company: SICIS | @sicis_official

collection: Gem Glass

system: Neptune system

location: Olympic Villa, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The post SICIS creates glowing swimming pool surface with decorative glass for cambodian villa appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

if the vetrite lazy susan set in a polished ebony koro table doesn’t grab your attention at the new york apartment, then the gem glass splashback is sure to. either way, the manhattan skyline, not five feet away, takes a back seat

in order to get the most from life, our minds and bodies need to recharge daily. the place we do this – our own, human, wireless charger – is the home.

be it filled with smart technology, the latest materials or furniture from renowned designers, the environment as a whole must remain a calm and reassuring place to start and end the day.

this video tour of the SICIS showroom in milan features examples of the unique mosaic and vetrite surfaces, how they complement various products in the SICIS line and close-ups of the craftsmanship that goes into both

for SICIS, based in ravenna in northern italy, the home is the stage where the most important moments of everyday life happen. with flagship stores in milan, paris, london, madrid, new york and many more cities across four continents, the brand creates interiors with an inimitable italian spirit.

the company recently took on the ambitious and collaborative project ‘rooms’ to present their enlightened vision for how interior design can create homes exactly how we need them to be; calm, reassuring and stable environments.

the apartment’s gem glass vetrite surface really stands out amongst the slate grey kitchen cabinets (top), while the cosmic pattern is replicated on the other side of the room to transform double doors into an inter-dimensional portal

the ‘rooms’ project – which involved the fitting out of a new york penthouse and a villa in toronto – required SICIS’s contract, home and project divisions to bring together selected pieces including furniture, lighting, fabrics and surfaces, from new and old collections. the company combined and complemented products with architectural and artistic elements such as dramatic mosaic constellations or their home-grown vetrite material, a block of glass with a polymer soul, adding depth, vibrancy and a touch of the spectacular to walls, surfaces and even some of the furniture.

in the villa, for example, a blake bookcase welcomes visitors into a reading space with integrated lighting presenting a patterned vetrite glass back panel to a rapturous audience. a pair of mosaic-topped owen tables have a characteristic edge while a large philippe table with a gemglass top complements the villa’s soft palette and natural patterns. at the penthouse meanwhile, the special glass slabs give a serene sliced gemstone look to the kitchen, providing exotic splashback, work surfaces and glass double doors.

splitting the dining and seating areas creates a relaxed and informal living and entertaining space in the new york apartment, with the mosaic room divider doubling as an artistic and engaging centerpiece

but it’s not only of big slabs of glass that SICIS are fans of – they like to smash it up into little pieces too: each of their showrooms boasts multiple mosaic artworks for sale and installation, while both ‘rooms’ locations feature stunning mosaic walls. the penthouse’s living and dining areas are separated by a mosaic wall featuring an artistic feather pattern that feels like it’s swaying in the breeze, while beside the villa’s dining table sits a mosaic composition of plants and leaves, mirroring the tranquil scene outside.

as well as using glass to create a calm atmosphere, warming metal highlights subtly appear throughout the villa’s living space too. in the venus ceiling lamp – created from blown-glass and edged with champagne metal, in the champagne base of the philippe table, in the outlined edges of gold mosaic in both owen tables, in between geometric cuts of vetrite that run up a double-height interior wall and in the minimalist window frames, giving a generous view of the soothing gardens beyond.

harmony is installed in the apartment as seating is split into three sections. corner sofa, chaise longue and twin armchairs. with plenty of surfaces within reach and unobstructed views of the TV, this is a calming, tension-free zone

both villa and penthouse feature floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows, which flood the space with natural light and create panoramic park views – city and central, respectively. large-scale greenery has infiltrated the interior space too. a life-size potted character joins its mosaic compatriots for dinner in the villa, while a private atrium in the penthouse is home to a cohesive centerpiece of bamboo.

these shared living spaces must be calm, harmonious places that bring people together and encourage positive social interaction. the linear quilted leather of the island sofa in the villa, for example, elongates the height and width of the interior. combined with a natural colour palette it gives the illusion of space and serenity and makes positive interaction easy. and by removing architectural blockades (walls), both villa and penthouse segregate designated areas with interesting features such as osaka bookshelves, split-level architecture, handcrafted mosaics or floor-to-ceiling wooden slats, creating open and welcoming spaces with a choose your own adventure narrative.

starting with a large, square box, the torontonian villa uses split-level architecture with mezzanine and room dividers to create an open, social space that still feels intimate. double-height windows on both sides wrap the room in light

in a torontonian bunker of peace away from the chaotic city and a new york penthouse that escapes the metropolis by going high instead of long, SICIS have combined extreme comfort with relaxation, complementing their own products and materials with the right interior architecture.

these exemplifying three-dimensional works inspire effective interiors, creating calm, stress-free environments that help shed the daily tension accumulated from the outside world.

guest feature by james wormald / architonic

The post SICIS ‘rooms’ envision the perfect home in new york penthouse and toronto villa appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.