In a city where white and grey are the predominant colours for construction, and with a client brief looking for a building that stands out, MVRDV found the perfect compromise for this Beijing shopping centre.  Using pearlescent tiles to cover the façade, the building is both neutral and eye-catching.

Rather than create a full square block of iridescence, areas of checkerboard, angular cut-out sections, and terraces oriented to key areas of interest help break up the exterior. The unique tiles were created in China, hand-glazed and fired at different temperatures in three layers.  The effect they give when coupled with varied lighting and weather conditions is a rainbow of blues, purples, and yellows.

The 36 metre high building is just one of many adventurous projects from the Rotterdam-based architecture firm.  Their design for KWG M Cube’s unique façade ensures it has an ever-changing appearance. Hunter Douglas, who specialise in architectural solutions for exteriors, ceilings, and windows, manufactured the specified tiles.

The freedom their NBK Architectural Terracotta affords designers, providing tiles in traditional terracotta form, as well as their ability to utilise a range of colours, 3D embossing techniques, and special glazings, made them a clear choice for the project.

MVRDV
Hunter Douglas Architectural
NBK Terracotta

A new post by Hanna Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, March 2019.