Innovative Terra Cotta Facade: Ringling Museum’s Asian Art Study Center
The John and Mable Ringling Museum, located in Sarasota, Florida, will soon feature a new Asian Art Study Center with a completely digitally imagined and designed terra cotta facade.
Mock-up of the rain screen system that will adorn the new Ringling Museum Asian Art Study Center.
Fabrication of the terra cotta units began at Boston Valley Terra Cotta after a review and development period in collaboration with architect Machado and Silvetti Associates.
The three primary shapes of terra cotta blocks that make up the main field will be hydraulically ram-pressed. The corner conditions are more custom and thus will be a combination of hand-pressed and slip-cast units.
The process involved a digital realization of the form using 3-D software and was prototyped using the 5-axis mill here at Boston Valley. The team is finishing up milling the models and will then create molds for all three manufacturing types on this project.
The ram-press models take shape on the 5-Axis router.
Check back on this blog for more photos & details on the Ringling Museum’s Asian Art Study Center and it’s innovative terra cotta facadecas it progresses through our plant @ Boston Valley.
