Today we have the opportunity to work with high-quality ceramics from world manufacturers with enormous experience. This opens the way to new Ukrainian projects with unique facade solutions, our own vision of well-being through architecture. The stories of German flagship brands: Agrob Buchtal, TONALITY and MOEDING will help us to explore the modern path of ceramics in architecture. As well as comments from experts: Svyatoslav Shilin, CEO of the Ukrainian company BUDZIRKA, Raimund Kwak, Director of Export Sales of MOEDING, and Anton Oliynyk, architect and co-founder of BURØ architects.
From antiquity to ventilated facades
Clay, both raw and fired, appeared on the construction scene long before the invention of concrete. The availability of raw materials, the softness of the material during the molding stage, and the ability to replicate products have made ceramics an integral part of architecture in different parts of the world. From bricks, roofing tiles, and pipes to tiles, plumbing fixtures, and decorative accents in interiors: the versatility of ceramics and the number of roles it plays in buildings of the past and present is impressive.
1. Ceramics on a facade in Lisbon. Photo: Jaime Silva on Wikimedia Commons 2. Facade of the Majolica House (Sandelya) in Lviv. Photo: spadshchyna.lviv.ua 3. Window of a mosque with Turkish tiles from Iznik. Photo: architecture.goturkiye.com
Colored glazed tiles were used thousands of years ago in Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Middle East. One of the world's first examples of facade ceramics is the Ishtar Gate and Processional Way, built about 2500 years ago in Babylon. The walls, with a rich blue background and numerous bas-reliefs of animals, were covered with glazed bricks.
Virtually every society has a tradition of making ceramic materials that has evolved over the centuries. The geometric mosaics and "carpet" tiles of the Islamic world, the green ant tiles of medieval Russia and Western Europe, Spanish majolica, the blue and white Portuguese azulejo tiles, the art tiles of the Art Nouveau era, and the Metla tiles, which were very common in Europe and Ukraine in particular, at one time.
Svyatoslav Shilin, CEO of BUDZIRKA, which has been the brand ambassador of Fundermax HPL panels and Swisspearl fiber cement for 20 years, and currently represents premium architectural ceramics from German manufacturers Agrob Buchtal, TONALITY, and MOEDING in Ukraine, shared his thoughts on the properties of ceramics that make it relevant today.
Svyatoslav Shilin, CEO of BUDZIRKA. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
According to him, architectural ceramics have remained popular for such a long time because they solve a number of functional and aesthetic problems. They are a very stable and durable material that protects the building from climatic and atmospheric influences. The expressiveness and artistry of ceramic products, their ability to emphasize the shapes of the facade and provide an additional play of light are unique and cannot be replaced by any other material.
Samples of modern facade ceramics from the manufacturer MOEDING. Photo: sistemasdefachadas.com
Svyatoslav Shilin believes that there are more subtle, but no less important aspects - at the level of experience and emotions that architectural ceramics convey to the user. It is able to create a feeling of durability, solidity and respectability, a calm solemnity of buildings. Regardless of the color of the grout, decor or texture, the material always remains natural and "warm", bringing this note to the projects.
Svyatoslav Shilin: "There are almost no architects, designers, or customers who are indifferent to ceramics, given the source material and the traditional Ukrainian attitude to ceramics. If this happens, it is most likely due to a lack of information."
Solutions using ceramics are not "random", such buildings go beyond utilitarianism and communicate with the viewer and the space as art objects.
Ceramics in architecture are not just a material or a tool, they are also a symbol. They are a marker of an era, a social order: they tell about the lifestyle, worldview, and values of society at a certain time.
According to the architect Anton Oliynyk, ceramic materials act as a kind of cultural bridge between the past — the beginning of European civilization, contemporary pottery, and craftsmanship — and our future:
"Ceramics is absolutely natural, it does not change over time or these changes occur very slowly. It is an "eternal" material that ages gracefully, unlike construction plastics. It performs well in residential and public facilities. I would like these materials to be produced in Ukraine again, and we would start using them on a mass scale."
Anton Oliynyk, architect, co-founder of BURØ architects
One of the turning points for modern architectural ceramics was the introduction of hinged ventilated facades in the mid-20th century. All the ceramics of the past that we have mentioned were fixed to the surface and facades by a wet method. For such a facade, a solution or binders were required.
In contrast, the design of a ventilated facade does not require wet mixtures for fixing the plates. Facing materials are easily mounted on a wall with a layer of thermal insulation using special profiles and fasteners. An air gap remains between the wall and the finish - the building shell literally "breathes", and its thermoregulation, moisture removal and energy saving are significantly improved. Such facades combine energy efficiency, reliability, and their installation is very fast.
What was once an innovation has become the "gold standard" and is widely used in buildings for various purposes. The era of ventilated facades has outlined new horizons for architects: freedom in choosing shapes, volumes of facades and options for their decoration. For the ceramic industry, this has become a powerful impetus for new developments and expansion of the product range.
Anton Oliynyk: "Ceramic materials act as a kind of cultural bridge between the past and our future"
Diagram of a standard ventilated curtain wall. Image: facade.agrob-buchtal.de
At the beginning of the text, we mentioned that there are still few Ukrainian projects using ceramics on facades. If the material has many practical advantages and is visually impressive, then what happened?
In the 19th and first decades of the 20th century, the use of ceramic materials generally coincided with global trends, although Ukraine was divided between two empires.
In Europe, there was a real ceramic boom, caused by the development of production lines. In Ukraine, the material is clearly manifested in architecture, which stylistically belongs to the Ukrainian Secession. Later, it finds a new interpretation in the "Soviet Empire" and is actively used during the post-war reconstruction, and is partially present in modernist architecture.
Ceramic relief tiles from the facade of building No. 17 on Khreshchatyk. Photo: Rasal Hague on Wikimedia Commons
However, after the issuance of the resolution "On the Elimination of Excesses in Design and Construction" in 1955, the fate of ceramics in domestic architecture was decided negatively. It was recognized as too individual, decorative, and gradually disappeared from exteriors, remaining only in utilitarian manifestations.
A fragment of monumental majolica mosaics by Oleksandr Vorona in the passage on Independence Square. Photo: vechirniy.kyiv.ua
"Ceramics was fought as something superfluous, an artistic product that was difficult to use in architecture. It was cautiously banned from use in design. Thus, ceramics disappeared from the educational process, and opportunities to study it in depth and design with it disappeared. It is therefore not surprising that today architects and builders treat it as a new material. This gap is felt, and we set ourselves the goal of returning architectural ceramics to Ukrainian architecture," comments the CEO of BUDZIRKA.
Library facade in Dornbirn, Austria, with ceramic moldings from MOEDING. Photo: Stefan Müller-Naumann, www.moeding.de
German experience: three flagships of ceramics
Today, we have the opportunity to work with high-quality ceramic products from foreign manufacturers with enormous experience. This opens up ways to implement new Ukrainian projects with unique facade solutions, to shape our own vision of well-being through architecture.
More about the stories of the Agrob Buchtal, TONALITY, and MOEDING brands, whose ceramics can be called precious for architecture without exaggeration, below.
Svyatoslav Shilin: "Architecture has needed and still needs large-format panels in various versions and manufacturing technologies. Architectural ceramics respond to a special request: geometry and volume"
Agrob Buchtal: history and innovations
Agrob Buchtal [Agrob Buchtal] is a historic company with several production plants. The central production is located in Schwarzenfeld, Bavaria.
The company was founded in 1992, but its roots go back to 1755, including the porcelain and ceramic enterprises that existed before and are connected to the modern brand. The factories at various times produced floor tiles, mosaics, and roof tiles. During World War II, the facilities were completely destroyed and later revived.
In the 1980s, technological lines became more complex and the production of porcelain stoneware, digitally printed ceramic products, and special ceramics began - for example, extra thick, reinforced, high-load-bearing, and acid-resistant ceramics.
Agrob Buchtal facade systems allow for numerous design options: both classic and non-standard. The sizes of the plates range from large-format to thin strips or mosaics, as well as three-dimensional shapes, moldings and tubes.
One of the four Agrob Buchtal factories in Sinzig recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. Photo: agrob-buchtal.de
One of the four Agrob Buchtal factories in Sinzig recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. Photo: agrob-buchtal.de
Given this experience, Agrob Buchtal offers a wide range of ceramic solutions. First of all, these are facade systems: ceramic panels for ventilated facades and 3D facade elements. The company also produces tile products for public and residential architecture: floors in premises and public spaces (in particular, train stations, supermarkets), facades, kitchens, bathrooms, terraces, swimming pools.
Agrob Buchtal is the author of innovative developments based on special qualities surface ceramic materials. This gives ceramics a "super strength". For example, the surface Hytect releases active oxygen under the influence of light through the process of photocatalysis. This provides an antibacterial effect: microbes, moss or mold do not develop on such a tile, so it is advisable to use it in facilities with special hygiene requirements, wet rooms. Hytect is also hydrophilic, so dirt and grease have difficulty adhering to it. Hytect tiles neutralize hazardous substances, including formaldehyde and nitrogen oxides, and improve the microclimate in rooms. This property is maintained throughout the entire service life.
The use of photocatalytic surfaces on the facades of urban buildings can neutralize a significant amount of automobile emissions.
The innovative Hytect surface, developed by Agrob Buchtal, neutralizes hazardous substances and maintains special hygiene in spaces. Image: www.abk.com.sg
Agrob Buchtal slabs with the innovative Hytect surface neutralize hazardous substances, including automobile emissions
Agrob Buchtal facade systems allow for the implementation of numerous design options - from classic to completely non-standard. The company's palette includes about 20 thousand recipes for grout colors. Different sizes of slabs have been developed - from large-format to thin stripes or mosaics, as well as variable surface textures: monochrome, with photo or silk-screen printing, glazed or unglazed, matte or glossy. There are also three-dimensional shapes, baguettes and tubes.
The company produces materials according to individual orders, reproducing original creative designs in facade products.
Ilot Queyries residential building in Bordeaux, MVRDV project. KeraTwin® ceramic facade system from Agrob Buchtal with Hytect coating was used. Photo: www.mvrdv.com
Some architectural projects with Agrob Buchtal ceramics:
- Ilot Queyries residential complex in Bordeaux (project by MVRDV for Kaufman & Broad and ADIM). A customized version of the KeraTwin ® facade system with Hytect technology was used;
- Museum of Culture in Basel (project by Herzog & de Meuron). Hexagonal flat and 3D ceramic elements were used for the roof;
- Finchley Memorial Hospital in London (project by Murphy Philipps Architects). A customized version of the KeraTwin ® facade system was used in 10 colors and different formats.
Roof of the Museum of Culture in Basel, designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Ceramics by Agrob Buchtal create a unique volume, deep color, and play of light. Photo: ©Iwan Baan, www.herzogdemeuron.com
Roof of the Museum of Culture in Basel, designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Ceramics by Agrob Buchtal create a unique volume, deep color, and play of light. Photo: ©Iwan Baan, www.herzogdemeuron.com
Roof of the Museum of Culture in Basel, designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Ceramics by Agrob Buchtal create a unique volume, deep color, and play of light. Photo: ©Iwan Baan, www.herzogdemeuron.com
TONALITY: individual facade systems
The quality of TONALITY products is ensured by high-quality raw materials - clay from the Westerwald, a region known for its long-standing pottery tradition. It is even called Kannenbäckerland - "the land of potters."
Westerwald clay is practically free of iron impurities and has a fairly high content of kaolin. Due to its special physical and chemical properties, the masses are well suited for complex shaping and firing.
The brand was founded in Verot in 1999 by Creaton, a company with 150 years of experience in ceramic manufacturing. Gradually developing its production, TONALITY became one of the most modern facade factories in Europe and later came out of Creaton's wing.
In 2020, TONALITY was acquired by the Bavarian family-owned company Leipfinger-Bader. Future development vectors include expanding the scope of activities and the range of ceramic products for residential, commercial and industrial premises.
TONALITY has a research center where unique and new ceramic surfaces or colors are created, as well as individual solutions for projects. Photo: tonality.de
Unlike the multi-vector company Agrob Buchtal, TONALITY's products are currently designed specifically for facades.
One of the principles of TONALITY is an individual approach aimed at a specific project: each facade is like a suit tailored to unique standards.
Ceramic tiles for curtain walls can be very large in size. The fastening systems allow the elements to be placed horizontally, vertically, in any direction, on walls or roofs.
TONALITY offers a huge range of colours and surface options, including those that imitate natural materials and textures. The panels for ventilated facades are manufactured with millimetre precision in the formats 150 x 300 mm, 400 x 1600 mm and 600 x 2000 mm (i.e. very large formats!) to individual order.
The manufacturer also offers ceramic slats in the size of 1250 x 150 mm and ceramic volumetric elements - lamellas (Lammella), baguettes (Baguette) and squares (Square). They can be mounted horizontally or vertically for sun protection, privacy or creating decorative accents.
In projects, such volumetric ceramics are harmoniously combined with metals, glass or plaster, and flat ceramic tiles.
If a certain ceramic tile or fragment needs to be replaced, it is not necessary to disassemble the entire facade structure - you can remove just that individual tile or row.
TONALITY facades are mounted using the “lift and lock” principle. Only two systems are used: rail fixing (BAS) and adaptive system (ADS), with several configurations. The diagram and photo show ADS with a horizontal arrangement. Photo: tonality.de
TONALITY is a lightweight, high-strength, abrasion-resistant, UV-resistant, graffiti-resistant facade element. It is equipped with invisible fastening systems that allow for effortless installation of the panels. The fastening systems allow for horizontal, vertical, side-to-side and angled installation, offering freedom of creative design, for example for curved facades or roof decoration.
An aspect that is worth highlighting additionally: hinged facade systems with ceramics are mainly collapsible. TONALITY, Agrob Buchtal, and MOEDING all have this approach; it is becoming the gold standard for manufacturersIf a specific tile or fragment needs to be replaced, you don't need to disassemble the entire structure - you can remove just that individual tile or row, depending on the type of placement.
So ceramics in projects is not only spectacular, but also easy to operate and maintain. Neither vandalism nor various surface damages, which, unfortunately, are many in Ukraine today, will be a sentence for the entire ceramic facade. For durable, sustainable architecture, these advantages are important.
The Wave complex in Vejle, Denmark, designed by Henning Larsen. The building envelope, including the roof curves, is finished with TONALITY ceramics. Photo: henninglarsen.com
Forfatterhuset Kindergarten in Copenhagen, Cobe project. TONALITY brick facade (Square elements). Photo: ©Adam Mørk
Some architectural projects with TONALITY ceramics:
- Forfatterhuset kindergarten in Copenhagen (Cobe project). Square elements in brick red, installed vertically;
- The Wave residential complex in Vejle, Denmark (design by Henning Larsen). Ceramic facade and roof with elements in natural and glossy white, surface type G1-1;
- University of Sydney Business School (project by Kann Finch Group). Ceramic facade with elements in colors CR2, OR1, natural light gray, light cream, anthracite, surface type G1-1.
TONALITY facade ceramics were also used to decorate the Oberig clinic in Kyiv; we will talk about this project in more detail in the following materials.
The new building of the Oberig clinic in Kyiv with TONALITY ceramic facade. Photo: osnova-group.com.ua
Svyatoslav Shilin: "In our understanding of the capabilities and assortment of companies, they do not compete, but complement each other, providing a variety of choices for customers and architects"
BUDZIRKA CEO notes: there are not many manufacturers of architectural ceramics. Facade architectural ceramics is a special niche with painstaking and interesting technologies, and this market is not a mass market.
"In our understanding of the possibilities and assortment, the companies do not compete, but complement each other, providing a variety of choices for customers and architects. In each case, these are unique shapes, pouring recipes, craftsmanship and artistic approaches. It is important that the German companies in question profess pragmatic constructivism: for each ceramic plate, fastening elements are taken into account already at the molding stage, which guarantees speed and reliability of installation.
"These manufacturers are the undisputed leaders in the architectural ceramics market with extensive production experience," he explains.
However, a special page in his professional activity is connected with MOEDING products. The first acquaintance took place at the BAU architectural exhibition, where the manufacturer demonstrated solutions for the 1865 Broadway skyscraper in New York.
"I still remember these incredible three-dimensional ceramic elements - wall decorations, and most importantly - for window slopes. This is a holistic spatial solution, which is especially impressive in the massif. I am pleased that I saw these first samples, and later - the finished project."
1865 Broadway skyscraper in New York, designed by SOM Architects. LONGOTON® MOEDING panels were used, which were custom-made for the building. Photo: Sinziana Velicescu|Shildan Group
MOEDING — volume and scale
According to the observations of Svyatoslav Shilin, MOEDING architectural ceramics are particularly distinguished by their volume:
“The technologies used, the dimensions of the kilns and the dies (molds with holes through which clay is passed, which act as a matrix and give the clay a clear shape. — Ed. note) allow for the production of ceramics on a truly large scale.
The MOEDING profile differs significantly from other manufacturers in terms of size and height, as well as visually. This is made possible thanks to the enormous experience of technologists: their knowledge of processes, geometry, shrinkage coefficients during drying and firing, and load-bearing capacities.”
The history of MOEDING ceramic facades began in Lower Bavaria in the 1980s, when Munich architect Thomas Herzog developed the idea for an innovative facade system with hinged ceramic elements. A partnership between several brick factories was established to put this system into practice.
Terracotta curtain walls were then used for the first time, and this event became epoch-making for the further development of modern facade ceramics.
MOEDING also owns the development of the horizontal support profile.
Professor Thomas Herzog, architect, "father" of modern curtain wall ceramic facades; MOEDING production spaces. Photo: ©Inge Zimmermann and ©Andreas Süß
Raimund Kwak: "It is ceramics that allows you to create shapes that are impossible with other materials"
Since the 1990s, the manufacturer has focused on the production of facade tiles. In 2001, MOEDING became part of Girnghuber GmbH (GIMA), which has a long tradition in the production of ceramic materials. Thanks to this synergy, the flagship facade systems ALPHATON® and LONGOTON® were developed.
Currently, MOEDING's products, in addition to rectangular brick tiles for ventilated facades, include numerous special solutions - for example, baguettes and SERATON® mesh brick systems. The company produces ceramic tiles in non-standard formats, including very large sizes, with curves or unique colors on individual orders.
Raimund Quack, Export Sales Director MOEDING. Photo: www.moeding.de
Today, MOEDING combines technological heritage with openness to individual solutions for architects. To understand how the company works with professionals and sees the role of ceramics in modern architecture, we spoke with MOEDING's export sales director. Raimund Kwak.
His arguments are simple and convincing: “In my opinion, this is one of the best materials that can be used. Clay is the very first building material in the world, which comes from the earth itself – it is natural and pure. Currently, there are virtually no restrictions on the typology of buildings for the use of this material. Ceramic facades perform well in the moderate climate conditions inherent in both Germany and Ukraine.”
“It is usually very easy for architects to use these products: they can come to us with an idea, sketches or something else. We are able to support them with our experience - how to implement an idea using ceramics. Together with the architect, we develop his building: if there are special ideas about the color of the ceramic tiles, we offer shades and glazes for this project. We know what is technically possible, and the architect knows what his building should look like,” he says.
ALPHATON® is MOEDING’s first market product and remains a bestseller. Plein Ciel House in Strasbourg with glazed slabs, moulds made individually for the project. Photo: Sébastien Brillais, Magellan, www.moeding.de
Raimund Kwak: "MOEDING's bestseller is ALPHATON® boards. Their length, width, thickness, surface structures and colors can be designed to suit any architect's purpose."
According to Raimund Kwak, it is ceramics that allow you to create shapes that are impossible with other materials:
“The surface of ceramics is completely different from, say, a powder-coated aluminum sheet. There is no play of light, no shine, no “living” surface. There is more life in a ceramic surface than in a composite material, it is not as industrial. This is a big advantage of ceramics compared to other materials.”
Answering questions about the characteristics and place of ceramics in modern architecture, he calls it a premium and almost eternal material, thanks to which special facades are born. At the same time, ceramics are not "elitist": they are very adaptable, they show themselves well in various projects.
MOEDING's export sales director calls the plates a bestseller ALPHATON®: "Although the fastening systems for ALPHATON tiles, whether oriented vertically or horizontally, are standardized, the tiles themselves can be as individual as the architect requires. Length, width, thickness, surface structures and colors can be designed to suit the purpose."
There are special installation systems for ALPHATON® ceramics: L² Rapid and Gen.06-Rapid for laying tiles and L² Rapid VERTICAL for vertically oriented tiles. The tiles are mounted on the support structure without tools. Diagrams: www.moeding.de
Reflecting on the past, the development of production and the directions that will be expanded in the future, Raimund Kwak notes: “If you had asked me about the ‘golden age’ of the company 10 years ago, I would have answered: ‘Right now we are in the ‘golden age’. Never before have we had so much interest from architects in our products.’ If you ask me now, my answer is exactly the same. And I can assume that my answer will remain the same in the future.”
520 Fifth Avenue in New York, by Kohn Pedersen Fox. The curved terracotta window elements were designed by MOEDING specifically for the project. Visualization: Binyan Studio, www.kpf.com
Raimund Kwak: "We are just now creating a new spectrum of possibilities. And I think that the future lies precisely in this: doing something special, not just flat facades."
Even with well-thought-out product strategies and market research, reality adjusts manufacturers' plans. The most important thing in it is the consumer.
“At the beginning of this century, we were surprised by the rapid growth in demand for glazed tiles. To meet this demand, we expanded our laboratory staff and installed new glazing equipment. This allowed us to develop and produce even highly specialized glazes to architects’ orders. Although for decades most tiles were flat, since 2010 there has been a high demand for individually designed volumetric tiles with new surfaces. Fortunately, our roller kilns were designed to allow for the creation of such shapes, so we easily met this new demand. As for the future, I think it is difficult to say for sure. After all, it is always the architect or designer who decides which material will be popular. At the moment, it seems that this is a very relevant material for us, we are doing a lot of projects and new developments regarding shapes, 3D elements, etc. We are simply creating a new range of possibilities. And I think the future is exactly this: doing something special, not just flat facades, because they are already familiar, and it is easy to repeat. We see the future in 3D and special shapes and tiles. This is the direction we are trying to move in,” concludes Raimund Kwak.
To integrate Malmö Live into the environment, Schmidt Hammer Lassen architects decided to use a ceramic facade and ALPHATON® MOEDING products. Photo: Anke Müllerklein, www.moeding.de
At the end of the story about the manufacturer MOEDING, we share a list of objects from Mr. Raimund Kwak, in which German facade ceramics reveal their versatility:
- tall buildings - 1865 Broadway skyscraper in New York, USA;
- Museum and cultural sites - Bavarian History Museum in Regensburg, Germany;
- a comprehensive urban project — the Malmö Live quarter in Malmö, Sweden;
- innovative techniques - the 520 Fifth Avenue building in New York, for which a facade with Romanesque arched windows made of curved terracotta elements and a special shimmering glaze was designed.
The MOEDING expert also noted that an interesting direction for the company is the reconstruction of existing buildings. An implemented example using architectural ceramics is the administrative building of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the city of Passau, Germany.
Bavarian History Museum in Regensburg. The building shell consists of seven types of plates with a ridged surface. Photo: Alexander Bernhard, www.moeding.de
Ukrainian context: interrupted traditions and return
In the 20th century, the Ukrainian ceramic industry faced difficulties. It seemed as if they were trying to squeeze it into a Procrustean bed of definitions: "folk" and traditional, decorative and applied and artistic, industrial or intended for mass use.
Creating something new in an environment where there is a lack of space and technology for free experimentation, opportunities to show commercial interest, and exchange experiences was not so easy.
Monumental ceramics experienced times when themes were dictated from above, the fates of projects were determined behind closed doors, and some "wrong" works remained forever in the workshops where they were created. The qualities that today are a recommendation for the use of ceramics in exteriors, interiors of buildings, and public spaces - individuality, artistic expressiveness - could then have decided its fate in a negative way.
Ceramics on the facade of the House of National Creative Collectives of Ukraine, Kyiv. The author of the panel is artist Olga Rapai. Photo: Oleksandr Panchenko, tykyiv.com
A panel with ceramics at the Khreschatyk metro station and its artist Oksana Grudzinska at work. Photo: Olena Borisova, photo of the artist provided by Iryna Beketova for birdinflight.com
The work of domestic ceramists and sculptors during this period is all the more valuable. Olga Rapai, Viktor Blinov, Halyna Sevruk, Ivan Klymko, Ivan Pylypenko, Oleksandr Vorona, Oksana Grudzynska, Vira Tomashevska, Nina Fedorova, Ihor Yanovych, Yaroslav Motyka, and many other creative names — at the slightest opportunity, their sincere attitude to the material and their desire to explore the possibilities of ceramics found implementation, in particular, in architecture.
The artistic language of works, color, methods of surface treatment, and glaze recipes for ceramics created by Ukrainian artists are worth studying.
An extraordinary example of ceramics from the 1950s can be seen on the facades of Khreshchatyk. During the post-war reconstruction, ceramic tiles with reliefs and decorative Baroque elements were used to decorate houses No. 13 and 17, built according to the design of architects Oleksandr Vlasov, Anatoly Dobrovolsky, Borys Pryymak, and Oleksandr Malinovsky.
Majolica panels and ceramic decorations with floral motifs by Oksana Grudzinska, Nina Fedorova, and Hanna Sharai adorn the spaces of the Khreschatyk metro station and the pavilions of VDNH.
One of the late monumental works is ceramics created by artist Olga Rapai after the state decree on the fight against architectural excesses in 1987. The "fairytale" panel on the facades of the House of National Creative Collectives of Ukraine (Kyiv) is a tribute to the works of Maria Prymachenko.
This legacy of the past — the artistic language of works, color, methods of surface treatment, and glaze recipes — is worth studying. It contains the creative energy and experience of artists and technologists who dedicated their professional lives to ceramics. The techniques used by Ukrainian ceramists can be reinterpreted in new architectural projects.
Majolica on the facade of kindergarten No. 809 in Kyiv, created by artist Ivan Pylypenko. Photo: tvoemisto.tv and Olena Borisova on Facebook
Ukraine has long traditions of sculpting and pottery, the use of ceramics in dwellings, and significant deposits of clay. This thread of practical and spiritual connection with the material, which stretches practically from the time of Trypillya, was not to be interrupted, but only to develop.
CEO BUDZIRKA Svyatoslav Shilin and architect, co-founder of BURØ architects Anton Oliynyk They speak about the wealth of native natural resources. 10% of the world's deposits of white kaolin clay are located on the territory of Ukraine.
The architect notes that at one time, many European tile manufacturers purchased high-quality clay from the Donetsk region. Unfortunately, even in peacetime, Ukraine focused mostly on selling raw materials rather than creating high-value-added ceramic manufacturing enterprises. However, this may change in the future.
“I really hope that reconstruction and reindustrialization will begin in Ukraine later, and we will return to the production of such materials,” says Anton Oliynyk.
Case: MRIYDIY school, "Rybalsky", Kyiv
However, while domestic ceramics production is just waiting for its revival, Ukrainian architects are working with products from leading Western factories. A prime example is the MRIYDIY school project in the Rybalsky residential area in Kyiv. Completed in 2021, the school became the “heart” of the Rybalsky Family Port cluster.
New full-day school MRIYDIY in the Rybalsky residential area in Kyiv. Photo: mriydiy.school
Anton Oliynyk: "The school is a unique public facility that is not built very often - one every 10 years. We wanted this educational institution, a child development center, to please the eye for years."
“In the school project in Rybalske, ceramic materials were used for flutes. We searched for manufacturers for quite a long time and settled on the products of a manufacturer from Germany, who went out of their way to meet us in communication: provided the necessary samples, helped with the profile for installation, we calibrated the colors,” says Anton Oliynyk. “These vertical convex grooves on the ceramics are very architectural — if you recall Greek architecture, the classical Ionic order has similar flutes. These meanings are present here — modern ceramic material seems to send us back to archaism, to antiquity, to the beginning of European civilization. I have already mentioned that ceramics act as this special bridge through time.
The criteria for choosing ceramics for projects are durability, stability, extraordinary appearance, environmental friendliness, and safety: this material does not burn and is not afraid of precipitation.
Ceramics are an excellent facade material that can be used for various purposes: both public and residential. However, the mass use of high-quality ceramics in residential construction involves large budgets.
The school is a unique public facility that is not built very often - one every 10 years. We wanted this educational institution, a child development center, to please the eye for years. That is why we chose this solution."
Education and demand: what BUDZIRKA does
Svyatoslav Shilin, CEO of BUDZIRKA. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
Svyatoslav Shilin: "When we see an artist-architect collaborating with another artist - a ceramist, with representatives of the factory, I cannot call these products anything other than artistic"
The company's CEO says: BUDZIRKA's decision to add architectural ceramics to its product range arose in response to trends in design and construction and the demands of developing domestic architecture.
"Architecture has needed and still needs large-format panels in various versions and manufacturing technologies. In addition to Fundermax HPL panels and Swisspearl fiber-cement large-format panels, we offer large-format porcelain stoneware and quartz panels. All of these products are mostly flat. But architectural ceramics respond to another, new request: geometry and volume. There is no art lost in ceramics for facades. Despite the fact that products are manufactured in large quantities in factories, it is always about original forms. The products of each manufacturer differ from the other."
“For architects, the constructive possibility of implementing their idea is important,” he continues. “In communication with manufacturers, we get the following answers: can units be made that meet the conditions of architecture or construction? Is it possible to make this or that shape? We often turn to individual manufacturing, and such cases are not exceptional — half of such projects today.
"When we see an artist-architect collaborating with another artist, a ceramist, with representatives of the factory, I cannot call these products anything other than artistic. Together they create a facade, a building as a monumental sculpture."
BUDZIRKA company initiates meetings and workshops for the exchange of experience, training of architects, designers, and specialists of installation companies. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
"I have already mentioned that ceramics used in buildings can emphasize the social structure. Through materials in architecture, we can express our attitude to life, social status. These objects will remain for a long time and will become symbols of the era. Architectural ceramics can "highlight" the fundamentals of our present: who we feel we are, who we want to be, how we relate to important things in life," explains Svyatoslav Shilin. "In this aspect, I want to see it in the infrastructure of the social and cultural direction: educational institutions, healthcare, administrative buildings."
There is also a completely pragmatic answer to why ceramics should be used in social and important infrastructure.
On this occasion, the CEO of BUDZIRKA adds: "Ceramics do not burn and do not support combustion, which is an important requirement for the facades of certain buildings, such as hospitals or schools. We have already mentioned other qualities of ventilated facades with ceramics - energy efficiency, durability, compliance with the principles of sustainable architecture."
Svyatoslav Shilin: "We have a mission to return architectural ceramics to Ukrainian architecture"
Svyatoslav Shilin and the BUDZIRKA company are trying to do a lot to revive architectural ceramics in Ukraine. This also reflects the expert's personal love for this material.
In the BUDZIRKA space at Novozabarska, 2/6 in Kyiv, architects and customers can examine product samples in detail, study types of fasteners, and surface options. Ceramics is a material that is important to see in person. In 2024, the Library of Ukrainian Materials opened at the same address.
When choosing ceramic materials for projects, it is useful to see them in person, evaluate the nature of the surfaces, shape, and ability to reflect light. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
The company initiates meetings to exchange experiences, train architects and installation companies. These include seminars in the Kyiv space of BUDZIRKA, educational lectures for university students, and speeches to a wider audience.
Svyatoslav Shilin says: “Our meetings include product study and practical part. We demonstrate the beauty of modern facade ceramics and the ease with which it is mounted.
"Ideas about the possibilities and aesthetics of a material, as well as demand, are always born through information and education. In two decades of working with building materials, we understand this well."
