If you’re lucky enough to be in the Big Apple between now and September 7th, you may want to visit the Museum of the City of New York, where there is a great exhibition titled “Palaces for the People: Guastavino and the Art of Structural Tile”.
Reminiscent of the surreal shapes of his more famous contemporary, Antoni Gaud?, Spanish immigrant Rafael Guastavino Moren’s patented vaulting system has been one of the great contributors to the architectural vision that was Manhattan’s Golden Age.
Guastavino’s greatest innovation was in tiling: lightweight, fireproof, low-maintenance, and capable of supporting significant loads, they are to be found in some of the greatest landmarks of the New York skyline: Ellis Island’s Registry Room, Carnegie Hall, the Bronx Zoo’s Elephant House and Grand Central Terminal all contain Guastavino vaults.
What can you do with a tile? Judging by this exhibition, create dazzling spaces which define much of a city’s architectural heritage.
There’s lots more information, photos and videos here ? http://www.mcny.org/exhibition/palaces-for-the-people-guastavino