Location: Blacktown NSW Building Owner: City of Blacktown Architects: Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp Construction: ADCO Constructions Facade construction: Hi-Tec Glass  Austral Bricks products: • Terraçade XP terracotta facade system, Pilbarra Linear   NOVEMBER 2006

In concept the Max Webber Library is simple: two large modules, one transparent, the other opaque.

The glazed module holds the public lending and browsing area, shaded by external metal louvres. Its neighbour houses the book stacks and a multi-function centre and is clad in Terraçade XP, Austral Bricks innovative terracotta facade system.

The designers wanted to introduce an “earthy feel” to the facade. “The Terraçade tiles give a warmth to the building, contrasting with the metallic character of the louvres and the transparency of the glass,” explains project architect, Lance White.

“Terracotta is a maintenance-free product,” he continues. “It is robust and durable, has a very long life span, and is inherently graffiti resistant.” Vandalism has not been a problem because, White contends, “if you apply good design and a quality level of finish, people appreciate it.”

The Terraçade tiles are attached to rails fastened to concrete masonry walls waterproofed with a liquid membrane. Terraçade is “a well thought-out product, the system was very easy to construct and everything worked well,” Lance White considers.

Terraçade’s natural colour variation “enriches its character rather than being a flat monotone manufactured colour,” he concludes. “All in all, I think it is a successful product.”