21st century ceramics. New Delft Blue relief tiles
The New Delft Blue relief tile is an innovative type of ceramic, developed by the Dutch designers Studio RAP. The first large-scale project where this material was used was the archways of the PoortMeesters residential complex opened in Delft this year. What are the features of this 3D printed relief tile? What are the advantages of such innovative ceramic materials and what opportunities do they open up for architects, read below:
3D printing is mainly related to plastic products or concrete constructions. However, Studio RAP decided to further explore the possibility of creating innovative materials through 3D printing, resulting in the New Delft Blue ceramic relief tile. “We are an architecture and design firm that combines the power of computational design with advanced digital fabrication techniques. Our team consists of architects, designers, developers and researchers. Together, we strive to improve the way we design and create architecture. RAP Studio challenges traditional methods of construction and redefines the profession of architect," said Lucas Der Hall, co-founder of the firm.
New Delft Blue relief tiles are not only a prototype, but a full-fledged finishing material. More than 3,000 of these uniquely patterned tiles were printed at the RAP studio in Rotterdam and used to decorate the interior of the arches of a residential complex in Delft. This portal is four meters wide, eight meters high, and twelve meters deep.
The blue hue of these innovative materials has an important symbolic meaning. The point is that historically the city of Delft was famous for its porcelain production. The most popular line of porcelain was called Delft Blue and had a distinctive hue. To create the New Delft Blue design, Studio RAP developed a special algorithm that, based on the analysis of traditional porcelain patterns and colors, created the look of each tile.
3D printing has also influenced the design of new tiles. As a result of preliminary studies, the behavior of the material during production, its shrinkage and the features of the internal bearing structure were studied.
“3D printing ceramics gives us a lot of possibilities as architects. Not only do we source innovative materials, we can create a complete digital workflow from design to final product production. This allows us not only to fully realize our design ambitions, but also to guarantee high-quality architectural projects. We gain more control over the output, we can plan production time and costs more precisely," said Lucas Der Hall.
Building name: New Delft Blue
Authors: Studio RAP
Build date: 2023
Location: Delft, Netherlands