LONGOTON® is a long-format brick tile for ceramic facades, developed by German manufacturer MOEDING. The Tower 28 & 7 by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill on 28th Street in Chelsea, New York, uses these bricks in horizontal and vertical dispositions, to frame the windows of its glass facade.
This is an office building, with a facade design of filigree cabinets characterized by the contrast of the windows with the black LONGOTON® profiles.
LONGOTON® pieces can be customized for vertical and horizontal use in 16 signature classic colors, but they can also be glazed with custom mixtures such as the one developed for this facade, a three-dimensional, protruding structure of shell-shaped ceramic LONGOTON® pieces, in a lustrous black glaze.
The twelve-story building is covered in this structure of custom-designed curved terracotta profiles that contrast with the buildings of its surroundings. The facade’s rhythm is dictated by a grid of 3-meter modules focusing on its crystal windows, framed by the reflective black tiles. The ground floor, meant for retail, sports longer ceiling heights and tile lengths to enable greater contact surface between the storefronts and the street. The office floors are open and flexible to tenant’s needs, always with a clear, open view through the facade.
The LONGOTON® brick tile is characterized by its flexibility in shape and length, which can reach up to 3,000 mm. This brick tile was introduced into the market in 2001, as a response to the demand for long-format ceramic tiles.
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| LONGOTON® special form, in black and brown glaze |
The facade system offers:
- long-lasting materials
- natural resources
- efficient production
- economical development through fast and efficient installation
- high individuality due to large design option potential
- energy efficient
- low maintenance
MOEDING, the tile’s manufacturer, has four standard brick tile models with simplified installation systems for each one of them, but they also design custom bricks by demand, with the option to personalize color, shape, length, texture, and even their installation process, if needed. The black tile of 28 & 7 is a customized version of the LONGOTON® tile.
| Architects | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
| Area | 27,500 m² |
| Year | 2022 |
| Photographs | Shildan Group | Michael Young & New York YIMBY |
| Manufacturers | MOEDING |
| Products used in this project | LONGOTON® |
| Location | New York, USA |
