Ceramic House
Ceramic House
The Ceramic House is a 3D-printed ceramic facade for a boutique on Amsterdam's P.C. Hooftstraat. Studio RAP designed and produced the facade in-house, using its own custom-built 3D-printing technology to print each bespoke ceramic tile. The result adds a contemporary design language to the street's historic architecture, combining algorithmic design, 3D-printed ceramics, and artisanal glazing. Its textural, wave-like surface is inspired by knitted textiles.
Algorithmic design Using design algorithms developed in-house, the facade reinterprets the decorative qualities and vocabulary of glazed ceramics in Amsterdam. It retains the silhouette of the original facade and continues the street's characteristic tripartite structure. The scale, size, type, and colour of the ornament and materials are tuned to the neighbouring buildings, so the new facade integrates with its historic surroundings. The surface carries layered patterns drawn from textiles: creases, interlooping yarns, and stitches. Its relief shifts as you move past it, revealing new detail from different angles.
3D-printed ceramic tiles The tiles take cues from the ceramic collection of the Rijksmuseum. Studio RAP's large-scale 3D-printing technology produces highly differentiated, algorithmically designed detail. The studio developed this fabrication process over several years, including its own robotic systems, with the team working directly with the robots to produce each ceramic piece.
Artisanal glazing At street level, the facade uses large 3D-printed ceramic tiles of roughly 40 x 20 cm, glazed in pearl white with a subtle touch of yellow by Royal Tichelaar. The tiles read as expressive at eye level and align flush where they meet the ground. On the upper floors, 3D-printed bricks are glazed in three shades of red, composed alongside the original masonry cross bond, with abstract ornamentation that fades towards the top. The bricks sit in laser-cut stainless steel cassettes that echo the original detailing.
About Studio RAP Studio RAP is a Rotterdam-based team of architects that combines architecture with in-house manufacturing and craftsmanship, bringing bespoke detail back into architectural design. The Ceramic House is one expression of that approach.
Location: P.C. Hooftstraat, Amsterdam (NL)Client: Warenar Real Estate
Architect: Studio RAP
Co-architect: Gietermans & Van Dijk
Facade cladding: Studio RAP
Firing & glazing: Royal Tichelaar
Main contractor: Wessels Zeist
Photography: Riccardo De Vecchi
Film: Oculus Film
Algorithmic design Using design algorithms developed in-house, the facade reinterprets the decorative qualities and vocabulary of glazed ceramics in Amsterdam. It retains the silhouette of the original facade and continues the street's characteristic tripartite structure. The scale, size, type, and colour of the ornament and materials are tuned to the neighbouring buildings, so the new facade integrates with its historic surroundings. The surface carries layered patterns drawn from textiles: creases, interlooping yarns, and stitches. Its relief shifts as you move past it, revealing new detail from different angles.
3D-printed ceramic tiles The tiles take cues from the ceramic collection of the Rijksmuseum. Studio RAP's large-scale 3D-printing technology produces highly differentiated, algorithmically designed detail. The studio developed this fabrication process over several years, including its own robotic systems, with the team working directly with the robots to produce each ceramic piece.
Artisanal glazing At street level, the facade uses large 3D-printed ceramic tiles of roughly 40 x 20 cm, glazed in pearl white with a subtle touch of yellow by Royal Tichelaar. The tiles read as expressive at eye level and align flush where they meet the ground. On the upper floors, 3D-printed bricks are glazed in three shades of red, composed alongside the original masonry cross bond, with abstract ornamentation that fades towards the top. The bricks sit in laser-cut stainless steel cassettes that echo the original detailing.
About Studio RAP Studio RAP is a Rotterdam-based team of architects that combines architecture with in-house manufacturing and craftsmanship, bringing bespoke detail back into architectural design. The Ceramic House is one expression of that approach.
Location: P.C. Hooftstraat, Amsterdam (NL)Client: Warenar Real Estate
Architect: Studio RAP
Co-architect: Gietermans & Van Dijk
Facade cladding: Studio RAP
Firing & glazing: Royal Tichelaar
Main contractor: Wessels Zeist
Photography: Riccardo De Vecchi
Film: Oculus Film