Ceramic wall cladding is making a comeback

Ceramic wall cladding is regaining popularity. It no longer needs to mimic brick, its structural character, or adhere to the fanciful dogmas of architectural "honesty." The autonomous nature of the thin skin of a building, the "fabric" that wraps around it, is, of course, nothing new. It has been well described by representatives of both past and contemporary architectural thought: Semper, Loos, Caruso, and many others.

Loos emphasized the appropriateness of hard, smooth cladding materials that protect soft, vulnerable materials from damage.

The "earthy" character of fired clay and its durability go beyond just technical and functional aspects. Ceramic coatings on buildings are timeless—they do not age aesthetically. The Milanese facades of Ponti or Caccia Dominion, and the few preserved claddings of Warsaw's 1960s pavilions, after fifty years, still retain their expression, lightness, and colorful character.

Deep colors, patterns, and textures offer an interesting alternative to the quickly soiling "plastic" plasters, dull aluminum cladding, and the monotony of glass curtain walls.

In a collage of examples of old and new ceramic facades from the past fifty years, we have also included our realization from Warsaw’s 19th District.

Text: Maciej Miłobędzki
Photos: Maciej Miłobędzki, Marysia Kot