Technical Precedent: Mario Botta
The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte, North Carolina
was designed by Mario Botta and clad in a terra cotta rain screen system. The concept of the building involved cutting voids out of a solid block of clay, resulting in a sculptural form which required a cladding system that could respond to the unique geometric qualities of the building.1 Terra cotta provides great freedom in the sizing of the panels, allowing small segments to contour to the buildings unique facade. In a rain screen system, the terra cotta panels are attached with clips to a structural steel frame, typically attached to a CMU wall construction. A layer of insulation, waterproofing and an air gap separate the CMU block from the terra cotta panels. In recent architecture, use of terra cotta is mainly found in the panel form, but terra cotta also has structural properties. When a terra cotta shell includes interior webbing, it becomes a brick which has enough compressive strength to stack a building up to three stories high. Because of it’s limiting height, it is rarely used as a structural element, but widely used as a cladding system which allows great diversity in its wide range of color options and ability to cover varying types of forms. 1. “The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art”. Boston Valley Terra Cotta. http://www.bostonvalley. com/project-portfolio/feature-project.html. 2012, Feb. 21.
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