La nuova frontiera tecnologica del rivestimento ceramico di facciata contemporaneo: la terza dimensione

In recent years, contemporary architecture has rediscovered ceramic facade cladding, the protagonist in Italy of a highly successful season between the 1950s and the 1970s. One of the most innovative aspects of the new cladding solutions from a strictly technical point of view, is the development of the third dimension, which finds its roots in the work of one of the most celebrated masters of the Italian Modern Movement, Gio Ponti. The paper aims to highlight how the third dimension represents the new technological frontier of ceramic cladding on both the design and production fronts. In the design field, the three-dimensionality of the architectural envelope is sought with anchoring solutions that emphasize the possibility of differentiated orientation of the individual elements, to achieve increasingly striking luminous and volumetric effects. From the point of view of product innovation, giving three-dimensionality to the individual ceramic element means perfecting the mixtures to improve their physical-mechanical characteristics, facing the challenge of 3D printing, developing a new product design in close synergy with the designer. The three-dimensional component also becomes a vehicle for a concrete digital transition of the design process, from the scale of the building to that of the detail, but also of the production process of elements and components, towards a collaborative and truly integrated concept. Through the critical and detailed analysis of significant case studies, the paper intends to outline the evolution of the technical solutions for anchoring these complex cladding systems and illustrate the new trends in the production field, correlating instances of parametric modelling and digital fabrication. The final objective is to promote technical knowledge in order to broaden the field of application and support the recovery of an important production sector that has been in crisis for a long time and is now undergoing promising development.