Terracotta Facade Wall Panels: A Sustainable Architectural Choice
Protecting Indoor and Outdoor Environments: Unveiling the Eco-Friendly Facade Material – Terracotta Facade Wall Panel
The Terracotta Facade Wall Panel, with its unique color style, enhances the diversity of architectural facades. With the advancement of new technologies, its presentation forms have become even more colorful. Let’s dive into what a Terracotta Facade Wall Panel is.
01. What is a Terracotta Facade Wall Panel?
The Terracotta Facade Wall Panel is made from pure natural clay, supplemented with a small amount of quartz, pumice, feldspar, and pigments. It is formed through high-pressure extrusion, low-temperature drying, and then fired at a high temperature of 1200°C – 1250°C. This material is eco-friendly, radiation-free, has a warm color tone, and does not cause light pollution.
Terracotta Panels can be cut as needed to fit various architectural styles. They are generally classified by thickness and cross-sectional shape into four categories: approximately 40mm thick hollow large panels, 30mm thick hollow medium panels, 20mm thick hollow small panels, and 15-20mm thick solid panels.
Types of Terracotta Panels
The product range of Terracotta Facade Wall Panels is diverse, with different shapes, specifications, production processes, cross-sections, installation methods, application positions, and functional emphases.
By Shape: Includes Terracotta Panels, Terracotta Baguettes, and Special-Shaped Panels.
By Surface Finish: Includes natural finish, glazed finish, rock texture, as well as fine sand, coarse sand, antique, weathered, brushed, gravel, coarse, coarse glaze, natural, fine glaze, grooved, and fine texture finishes.
By Application Position: Includes flat panels, corner panels, and capping panels.
Manufacturing Process
Simply put, liquid clay is extruded through a mold to form the Terracotta Panel, then dried and kiln-fired at high temperatures to achieve high strength, hardness, and surface precision. The mold’s shape determines the panel’s design, and switching molds can create different cross-sections and textures.
Material Characteristics
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- Eco-friendly Material: Made from natural clay mixed with quartz sand, extruded and fired at high temperatures, free from radiation, and highly durable.
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- Long-lasting Color: The color comes from the natural clay itself, ensuring bright, uniform, and fade-resistant tones. Available in over 20 colors, such as volcanic ash, Great Wall gray, iron gray, light gray, apricot red, sandy yellow, steel blue-gray, and many more.
- Self-cleaning Properties: Due to the panel’s stable physical and chemical properties and special surface treatments, it resists acid, alkali, and static buildup, preventing dust accumulation. Rainwater naturally washes away dirt, preserving its original appearance.
- Superior Performance: Impact-resistant, meets wind load requirements, heat-resistant, frost-resistant, and fire-retardant.
- Structural Advantages: The dry-hanging system allows for individual panel replacement when damaged, making maintenance easy. Its hollow structure reduces noise and weight while maintaining strength.
02. Installation Process
Terracotta Panels can be installed via both dry-hanging and wet pasting methods for indoor and outdoor applications.
Dry-Hanging System
Dry-hanging is the primary installation method. The extruded panels form structural ribs or recesses that attach to the wall structure via metal fasteners, making installation lightweight, strong, and easy.
Installation Steps:
Measurement & Layout → Install Galvanized Steel Brackets → Install Vertical Keel → Install Horizontal Keel → Install Terracotta Panels → Cleaning & Maintenance
The dry-hanging system ensures safety and easy maintenance, allowing for single-panel replacement if needed.
03. Case Studies
Since the first Terracotta Facade Wall Panel project in Munich, Germany, in 1985, the material has been widely used in architectural facades.
Architectural Case Studies
Examples include:
- Gothenburg KUGGEN Building
- Brandhorst Museum, Munich
- Vilnius University Library
- Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, Macalester College
- Huawei Headquarters
- Carmen Martín Gaite Teaching Center
Interior Case Studies
- Harlan + Holden Store, Lotte World Mall
- Yarra Valley Residence
- Gerona Apartments
- Shanghai Metro Natural History Museum Station
- Leipzig Metro Station, Germany
Conclusion: The Perfect Fusion of Fashion and Nature
LOPO Terracotta Panels offer durability, aesthetics, thermal insulation, soundproofing, and fire resistance. They are not just materials but a fusion of culture and art, leading the way in architectural trends.
