Ciudad de Mexico has fantastic food, picturesque parks, horrendous traffic, and inspiring design. On a recent tour of the Centro neighborhood in CDMX, we walked the busy streets staring up at the hundreds of years of architecture. One corner is home to a gorgeous edifice of architectural showmanship, Casa de Los Azulejos. The story we were told was that the building was built by a rich European baron for his daughter as a wedding present. The building is currently home to a chain restaurant, the tale of modern reuse. Glazed blue and white tiles adorn the exterior walls of the building between the carved stone pilasters and fenestration frames.
As a cladding material, tile is nearly as old as the history of architecture itself. Dating from over 10,000 years ago, glazed and unglazed tiles were found on buildings throughout ancient Mesopotamia. An early example of the use of tiles dates to the 13th century BC at the Elamite Temple and another from approximately 575 BC at the Ishtar Gate of Babylon. Throughout history, tile has been used for roofing, flooring, wall finishes, fountains, pools, and more. It was durable and could be used in a variety of ways.
Unlike concrete materials which rely on specific ingredients to produce the final product, tiles were typically made from locally sourced clay. This made clay tiles popular globally as the same firing techniques could be employed worldwide with similar results. The use of glazed tiles has been linked to various historical empires throughout the world, notably the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 – 534 AD) and popularized in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 to 1911 AD) as well as throughout Mesopotamia in the 9th century BC. The use of glazing increased the durability of the tiles making a glass-like layer on the top, wear surface, of the tiles. This process made the tiles applicable for almost any application from floor to exterior walls.
From Traditional Building:
Typical [ceramic] tile is made from clay, formed when malleable, and then dried before it is fired in a kiln. Clays are natural materials which vary regionally, resulting in varying workability, colour, texture, density, and porosity. The colour and hardness of the produced tile are also affected by the temperature at which it is fired.
During the Islamic period from the 9th century AD tile found its stride as a design element. These tiles were intricately designed and often featured on the interior walls of buildings. The use of tile as a design feature carried through the Islamic Empire to Spain, thereby introducing the method to European soil. I fondly remember when I walked through the various rooms and gardens of the Alhambra in southern Spain. I was awestruck by the intricate design and details of the glazed tiles throughout the palace. It was this experience that had me fall in love with Moorish design, the simplistic beauty and use of proportions continue to inspire me. Moorish-style tiles are noted for their geometric interpretations of nature, such as flowers and stars.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the development of the Delftware tiles in Holland became the new norm for tiles throughout Europe and the newfound colonies of Europe. The Delft tiles are known for their use of white and cobalt blue colouring, these tiles often depict pastoral scenes or flora. Cle Tile has gorgeous options in the Delft style, one of my favourites being the Margherita tile. If you are looking for a more traditional option, Regts Delft Tile has beautiful tile selections.
The use of cobalt blue extended into Portugal and Spain known as Azulejo – the namesake of the building in CDMX. This style of tile was heavily influenced by the Ming Dynasty’s porcelain design as well as the Dutch Delftware tiles. The use of the strong cobalt blue and bright whites often time depicted more intricate and artistic scenes. Many original hand-painted Azulejo tile murals can be found on 1stdibs. This one caught my eye, the carved upper border feels perfectly Baroque and would make for an incredible backsplash feature.
The exterior of the Casa de los Azulejos depicts motifs common in Mexican Talavera style tiles a clear link between the European style tiles blending and inspiring tilework in Mexico.
Like most things in history, we take for granted the rich history of tiles and their development when we see them. The manufacturing and design of tiles are synonymous with the regions of their birthplace. This includes the use of specific colours, designs, sizes, glazing methods, and more. We take for granted the design and style of Talavera tiles along the rises of stairs in Spanish Colonial design or the use of the geometric shapes depicting nature found in Moorish design. Each tile design is linked to history, one we should seek to remember. The original Delftware tiles had depictions of far east travel linking them to their Chinese porcelain roots, over the years the designs and art featured on these tiles transitioned to represent life within the boundaries of the Netherlands and Europe beyond. The combination of design and history allows us to tell stories in our spaces, stories that link our personal lives to history we feel an affinity towards or maybe one that shares our lineage. This link to history and the beautiful workmanship provides me with endless inspiration.
Walking through the streets of Portuguese cities like Lisbon, Porto, and Lagos, one will be exposed to the magic of tile cladding. Not only is glazed tile a durable option for cladding material, but it also conveniently proves the wealth of the families and individuals who built the buildings. From single-colour Zellige tiles to intricate Azulejo tiles to cut Moorish-style tile designs, these buildings are all gorgeous on their right.
By the magic of the internet once I started my pondering of tile cladding it is all I see on all of my passive searching. The buildings below exemplify the beauty of tile cladding. The vibrancy of colours and patterns blend perfectly with the stoic stone framing. Of course, all I want now is a home like this. One that celebrates the past and provides vibrancy to our future. We deserve to walk down streets and feel connected, grounded, and inspired by our surroundings. A glazed tile cladding reflects light creating a magical feeling of colour and light bouncing around us.
-G
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