The world of architectural cladding can be rather staid and serious, but lately we've noticed an assortment of eye-catching structures—from retail stores to private residences and cultural institutions—covered in tile, glass, metal, plastic, and more.
Now, a New Jersey-based terra cotta rain- and sunscreen company, Shildan, is throwing their name into the cool-cladding ring, unveiling Fabrik, a line of textile-inspired, customizable, masonry-and-stainless-steel-mesh screens that can be "draped" over a building. The company showcased the collection at this year's AIA Convention in Philadelphia. "Fabrik affixes to any wall in massive sheets," Shildan wrote in a release, "creating an instant facade or interior screen." Rad.
Shildan touts Fabrik's sustainable production (in a methane-fueled facility) and ease-of-installation as major selling points—as they should—but we're also very into the way it looks. The screen take on a different graphic, geometric vibe on each new structure (a few of which can be seen below), and comes in a variety of colors and arrangements.
To boot, the product has implications for how buildings are constructed: Because Fabrik eschews the traditional mortar used in masonry, the sheets can be shipped to the job site in bales or flat-packed and installed via crane, rather than brick by brick.