Ceramic Cloud

As you drive down the road to approach this monument, at most you see a sliver rising from the ground.  Only as you drive through the roundabout do you see the full 45 meter scope of Ceramic Cloud.

Kengo Kuma and Associates was asked to create a monument on a site in Casalgrande, an area of Reggio Emilia, Italy known for its tradition in ceramics and their technology.  Instead of its traditional use as cladding, the architects developed a specific detail of how to panel and connect standard tiles, allowing them to use ceramic as the star architectural element.  The design took an “anti-monumental” approach, simply dividing the site, and aligning the wall with the road.  However, the light structure’s transparency, plus the subtle reflection off the white ceramic glaze, interact with the surrounding site and weather.