Floating overhead like a giant pair of wings at the 2014 CEVISAMA, Ceramic Shell was a ceramic structure created by MaP+S and Institute of Ceramic Technology (ITC) and sponsored by ASCER. The ceramic cover consisted of a deck measuring about 7,8×4,5 meters in a plan view, suspended from the central columns of the building.
The sculptural model is a mock-up of a structural ceramic and concrete shell system that discovers new structural possibilities in ceramics. Ceramic Shell system was part of a research project that highlights the aesthetic and formal qualities of an innovative structural system. This project was originally developed by MaP+S at GSD in collaboration with the Institute for Structural Design at TU Graz.
The special feature of the installation is the double-curvature surface. A covering which is finished with just a single type of piece, whereas double-curvature surfaces usually need several types of pieces. In order to achieve this simplification, the glazed stoneware pieces, manufactured by Ceràmica Cumella, were fitted, thus accommodating the differences in measurements of the surface to be clad.
