Ventilated ceramic façades are a high-performance, sustainable solution that is becoming increasingly popular for the esthetic and functional benefits they bring to buildings. This cladding system improves thermal and acoustic insulation, reduces energy consumption and offers a number of advantages: weather resistance, easy maintenance and a wide range of finishes.
A prime example of this approach is the extension to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery designed by Lisa Deering of Glancy Nicholls Architects in the UK, which includes the Spitfire Gallery, a new section dedicated to one of the most iconic aircraft of the Second World War. The façade features 600x1202x10.5 mm slabs from Casalgrande Padana’s Marte Botticino collection, which cover an area of 500 sq. m with a striking visual impact.
In the province of Reggio Emilia, Italy, the new headquarters of Ceramiche Keope, designed by Guglielmo Renzi, stands out for its ceramic base supporting a glass upper structure. The façades are covered with large-format Tivoli Ivory porcelain stoneware slabs, whose light, bright tones evoke natural stone and give the building a touch of refined elegance.
Located deep in the Italian Tuscan countryside, Pala Todisco embodies a harmonious dialogue between architecture and nature. This new multifunctional convention center, converted from a former munitions factory, boasts a façade made of 120x278 mm slabs from Ceramiche Caesar’s Portraits collection in the Faro shade, which evokes the look of natural stone.
Overlooking the sea in the heart of the Gulf of La Spezia, Italy, the Riva Yacht headquarters has been renewed with a building designed by MMAA Studio Manfroni & Associati that reflects its unique identity. The ventilated façade, made with Florim’s premium materials and the S1 anchoring system, stands out for its sophisticated and contemporary design. Covered in Evening Blue and Riva Aquamarine, the façade reflects the brand’s signature colors.
Again in Italy, in Agrate Brianza, an industrial building belonging to Technoprobe has been renovated by Progetto 06 and upgraded with a new façade clad with 50x50 Autan® XL square slats by SanMarco, a Terreal Italia brand. This design adds dynamism to the structure, alternating solid surfaces with sunshades that play with the light, creating a variety of effects.
In Guangdong, China, the headquarters of Litex Surface, designed by RCHA, achieves a perfect balance between color and technology. The building, clad with Made in Italy products from Lea Ceramiche, features ultra-thin 3.5 mm Slimtech Plus Maxi slabs in a 3x1 m format from Ferruccio Laviani’s Pigmenti collection. These slabs are completely carbon neutral thanks to a production process that optimizes the use of raw materials, energy and water.
Also in China, the D Center is a new technology hub in the Yangtze River Delta Hi-Tech Park in Shanghai. Designed by gmp Architeken, the building’s façades feature ultra-thin Kerlite 3plus slabs from Cotto d’Este’s Buxy collection in Corail Blanc. Inspired by a Burgundy stone, this material has a dotted pattern that gives the building a natural look, in keeping with the park’s eco-friendly approach.
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