New Materials: Textured and Irregular Appearance Fiber Cement Facade Panels

Published on September 22, 2021

With the increasing availability of space travel on the rise, living with access to the Moon may no longer be a science fiction fantasy. For decades, Equitone has gathered inspiration for the future by the appearance and raw materials of Earth. Now, reflecting the fascination with what lies beyond our own atmosphere, its new Lunara façade panels appear both otherworldly and yet natural at the same time. Its unique surface, covered with tiny irregular elevations and depressions, is reminiscent of the cratered landscape of the Moon and invites architects and planners to design visionary building envelopes.

The unique character of the Lunara façade material is underlined by an irregular and singular surface structure. Thanks to the special production process, no two panels are alike. Tapping into material innovation, the new fiber cement panels used for Lunara have been tailor-made and created in collaboration with a selected international team of architects.

Same DNA, Different Look

Lunara has an extraordinary look and feel, which emphasizes the originality of the fiber cement material and at the same time adds an additional timeless texture to Equitone's material Library. The solid-colored façade panels are characterized by surfaces and edges of consistent tones, forming a cladding material that looks beautiful from every angle. The materials are available in cool gray or warm brown tones and with a maximum size of 1220 x 3050 millimeters. Due to the surface characteristics, the thickness varies between eight and ten millimeters.

The panels are made of pressed fiber cement, hardened under steam pressure. They consist of air, water, cement, cellulose, and synthetic fibers. All of these cladding panels are designed for ventilated rain-screen applications on all building types and heights and can be easily mounted on wooden or metal substructures using visible or concealed fastening methods. The panels offer a variety of benefits including frost resistance, water protection, and a rot-proof surface. They resist mold, insects, and fungi, have a long-life cycle - after which they can be recycled or reused.