One Vanderbilt & the Use of Architectural Ceramics in “Supertall” Skyscrapers
SOURCE: Architecture for the Soul
AUTHOR: John Valentine
DATE: January 31, 2025
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In Architecture for the Soul, John Valentine offers his thoughts on architecture, design, and travel. His blog, “Supertall Skyscrapers- USA,” addresses the recent popularity of supertall structures, the evolution of the skyscraper, and the resulting skylines. Boston Valley was proud to be the architectural terra cotta manufacturer for One Vanderbilt, a 58-story commercial skyscraper, noted for being one of the first introductions to using architectural ceramics in a “supertall” building type. The high-performance glazed, white terracotta façade is set in between each floor of wrap-around glass, tapering upwards with each sloped tier. Boston Valley manufactured all 42,000 of the white terra cotta spandrels that climb up the building’s façade, along with 2,500 soffit panels that are installed both in the interior and exterior of One Vanderbilt.
The project required a tight schedule, taking only 14 months to produce and ship product to Permasteelisa, which engineered a unitized curtain wall system to incorporate the terra cotta spandrels and shipped the frames to the job site for a seamless installation. As a classic building material, the terra cotta elements of the building complement some of the older architecture in this historic district. John Valentine noted:
“The design pays homage to the neighborhood. The integration with the adjacent Grand Central Terminal is exemplified by the glazed terracotta soffits on the building, which relate to the Guastavino tile ceiling vaults in the terminal. Boston Valley Terra Cotta in Orchard Park, NY, supplied the terracotta for the project and it is extraordinary.”
“Rising the full height of the supertall building, One Vanderbilt’s terracotta panels are shaped as gentle scoops and rendered in a luminescent pearl tone. Taken as a whole, they present a visual uniformity that establishes One Vanderbilt as a new landmark in New York City.” –John Valentine
