Sky blue 3D Tiles

Materia’s Co-Creation Award for the best collaborative project by a team of a designer and a manufacturer was awarded to Bierman Henket Architects and Dutch ceramics expert Koninklijke Tichelaar for these three-dimensional, wedge-shaped ceramic tiles. Available in two different module sizes, when used together the tiles create a ‘quasi random’ pattern that reflects light in many different ways. The tiles are coated with a white glaze that is interspersed with light blue accents, resulting in a surface effect that blends well with the sky. These tiles were custom designed for application to the façade of the Foundation Museum in Zwolle (NL) by Bierman Henket Architects and you can read more about this project here.

Availabe in a module size of 200 x 200 mm and 100 x 100mm, each wedge-shape tile is a moulded ceramic piece that has been shaped by means of slipcasting or with an extruder. Suitable for facades, the 3D shaping means rainwater runs off the tile surface easily. These tiles also feature properties such as frost resistance and certificates can be issued for various mechanical properties such as soft and hard body impact tests.

The white to sky-blue glaze is made from a layer of glass. The glass is composed of a mixture of non-organic minerals: metal oxides and silicates. This is mixed with water to form a liquid, which is then poured over the moulded ceramics. Alternatively, products can be immersed or sprayed with the glaze. When the product is fired with the glaze, the powder mixture melts to form a solid glass layer that adheres to the fired clay to which it is applied.