Boston Valley & Anne Currier Collaborate on 688 Broadway’s Terra Cotta Feature Wall
688 Broadway is a recent development by Madison Realty Capital and designed by BKSK Architects in New York City’s NOHO neighborhood. The building is a 14 unit luxury apartment featuring 3 full-floor units and a penthouse duplex in an extremely prime location. The lot itself was formerly used as a flea market for a range of local vendors until it was purchased for this building’s construction. Residents will be privy to an exclusive gated entrance at Great Jones Alley — one of the few remaining narrow alleyways, which links the location to the city’s humblest beginnings.
The exterior of 688 Broadway features elements of steel, brick, and terra cotta, manufactured by Boston Valley Terra Cotta. The entryway will also feature adornment of terra cotta wall tiles developed in collaboration with ceramic artist, Anne Currier. The wall is TerraClad Rain Screen, which incorporates ship-lapped open joints to shield the structural wall from weathering and makes for easy replacement of tiles if necessary. In order to produce the tiles, the terra cotta was put in the Ram Press to create multiples of the same unit in large quantities. The glaze of the terra cotta tiles has been custom formulated and the layout of the tiles was arranged by the artist herself. See photos below.
The layout was then translated into a template and the pieces were shipped to the onsite location for installation matching the designated formation.
Ceramic Artist, Anne Currier, positioning terra cotta tiles in an appropriate configuration.
Anne Currier’s layout of the terra cotta tiles as seen from above.
Detail of terra cotta wall tiles laid out on the floor of the Boston Valley factory.
