Textile-inspired 3D Printed Facade in Amsterdam by Studio RAP.

Back in 2016, MVRDV’s glass brick facade to Chanel’s new flagship store broke the internet (or at least, the archi-web). It seamlessly bled a traditional brick facade into a transparent wall, poetically celebrating contemporary glass construction and architectural innovation. It just so happened that this MVRDV beacon sits along Amsterdam’s high-end shopping street, P.C. Hoofstraat. Also sitting on this prominent stretch in The Netherlands is Studio RAP’s newest addition to the high-end shopping districts’ facade-scape.

Rotterdam-based Studio RAP have been breaking the barriers of architecture through their projects; they are a collective of designers interested in “reshaping the traditional role of an architect through blending architecture with manufacturing and craftsmanship”. Working closely with co-architects, Gietermans & Van Dijk, and glazing house, Royal Techelaar, the facade design of Ceramic House is a collaborative effort that demonstrates Studio RAP’s enthusiasm for exciting architectural innovations.

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Studio RAP’s inspiration, from textile seams and interloping yarns, to creating a 3D ceramic printed tile.

Much like MVRDV’s design, Studio RAP’s facade celebrates several heritage details original to the building. “[We] replicated the silhouette of the original facade”, share Studio RAP, “continuing the characteristic tripartite structure” of each shopfront along PC. Hoofstraat. Maintaining the already established rhythm across the streetscape is perhaps where their design is most successful; from afar, it is easy to mistake their custom cladding for a simple red brick. But it is when we zoom in that we realise that this facade starts to warp, distort, and even dance.

Clad entirely in custom-printed ceramic tiles, the project drew inspiration from the Rijksmuseum (the National Museum of The Netherlands) celebrated for its extensive global ceramic collection. “The scale, size, type, and colour of the cladding details and materiality are all carefully synced with the neighbouring buildings”, says Studio RAP, explaining how they honed “a seamless integration of traditional and contemporary architecture” into the existing street. “Through algorithmic design and 3D printing, we were able to achieve an exciting and textural design”, says Studio RAP when talking about their modern-day ceramic tile that could one day end up in the Rijksmuseum itself.

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A diagram of the undulating facade with layers of stitch patterns, interloping yarns and elegant creases.

At street level, the facade is clad in 40 x 20cm 3D-printed ceramic tiles, standing rigidly, as if they are holding up the building. Glazed in pearl white with a subtle yellow tinge by Dutch pottery company, Royal Tichelaar, these tiles were “designed to be visually expressive at eye level”, share the designers. Above, the tiles start to bleed, and take on a more fluid form. Three distinctive shades of red were adopted to reference the tones in the building’s original bricks. The further up the eye gazes, the more abstract the ornamentation becomes.

Inspired by textiles, the various layers of the facade exhibit references to stitch patterns, inter looping weaves and folding fabrics. Studio RAP has even curated the facade to engage with certain vantage points along the street and change as the viewer approaches the property from different angles. As one walks down P.C. Hoofstraat, “new elements within the custom ceramic tiles are unveiled, [allowing the] luxury boutique to harmonise with its historical environment, while standing out among its neighbouring buildings”, conclude the architects.

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[Images courtesy of Studio RAP. Photography by Riccardo De Vecchi.]