«Smooth, hard, clean, perfect»Terranova, history of a modern plaster

TERRANOV A: PLASTER AND POETICS

Developed in Freihung, Bavaria by Kapferer in 1893,«Terranova» -a ready-mix, factory tinted plaster forexterior facade use- came into widespread use inItaly starting in 1932, thanks to the efforts of Aristide

Sironi and his plant in Via Stephenson, Milano. 1

It was in this period that Terranova plaster firstbegins to receive extensive attention in technicaljournals, manuals, handbooks and advertisingbrochures; it figures in the statements and theoreticalwritings of the Rationalist architects; above al!, itemerges as the finish material of choice -virtual!y to

the exclusion of al! others- for the facades of civiland industrial buildings, where it is applied in broadareas or more limited bands, used for contrast inloggias and arcades, with its myriad colors, now

luminous and bright, now somber, lusterless andrestrained, setting off other facade materials such asmarble, natural or artificial stone, high- fired tile orglass brick.

For this material, created in reality over forty yearsearlier in Germany, Aristide Sironi shrewdly retainedthe original name (which was also maintained afterthe manufacturer's recent acquisition by Weber &Broutin, though in this case the motives were entirelydifferent: to underscore -by using the same name aswel! as by other means- a sense of a continuingtradition). For Sironi, the intention was to promote theproduct as a new, innovative, modern and -why not?

rational and economical (the two terms were almost

Emilia Garda

synonymous in those years) material, well able,precisely because of its touted modernity, to redeem

architecture from its backward-Iooking immobility.In aclimate such as this which extolled al! that wasnew, technical and economic motivations are

inextricably mixed with ideological ones, anunswerving faith in progress with allusions to the

artificial imagery of the Futurists and their ilk- notjust as regards the use of Terranova, but also for al!

material s employed in architecture and interiordecoration. So pervasive was this ethos that,frequently, synthetic materials -developed as

substitutes for other, more costly products- endedby being more highly prized than the original s

themselves. Such, indeed, was the case of theBakelite used in place of amber or tortoiseshel!, theLinoleum used to imitate briar or Persian carpets, andthe plasters that were careful!y contrived and treatedto imitate stone.

The various defenders of the faith lost no time inpumping up the myth of the new materials, and the

improbable virtues often attributed to them, so much

so that a number of designers, including Figini andPollini, felt the need to defend themselves from whatthey cal!ed «Another rhetoric, the most recent, the

rhetoric of new materials» (Figini, Pol!ini 1932, 2-3).Alongside the modernistic ideology, another theme

that was widely viewed as essential in those years,deeply felt and vigorously promulgated, and which is

closely linked to the use of new materials and the

Rationalists' categorizing efforts, is the theme of

Proceedings of the First International Congress on Construction History, Madrid, 20th-24th January 2003, ed. S. Huerta, Madrid: I. Juan de Herrera, SEdHC, ETSAM, A. E. Benvenuto, COAM, F. Dragados, 2003.

966

.l'>,rlin,),.n

Hairett!~¡cti ~atenf¡\lltt.

Figure 1Patent certificate of 1896. conserved at the Weber & Broutin

offices in Vienna and reading. «This trade name was entered

on March 12, 1896 as No. 14702 (Class 37) in the registry

01' trademarks on the basis of the Imv of Mav 12, 1894governing trademark proteclion following an application

filed on November 19, 1895 by Terrano\'a 1ndustrie

Freihung, Messrs. Kapferer . . . and . . . Sectors in which the

trade name «TERRANOVA 1NDUSTRJE» will be used:

Terranova plaster, imitation facing brick, imitalion stone,

ornamental surfaces. Serlin, March 12, 1896 1mperial

Patent Office». (Weber & Broutin archives)

ambient hygiene. At the typologicallevel, the desire

for hygiene -seen as the road to healthfulness- wasresponsible for sweeping renovations: horizontaJwindows, fiat roofs that could be used as gymnasiums

or gardens, etc.. When selecting materials, ir led to apreference for those that were smooth and washable,

would not harbor bacteria, and were free from cracksand joinrs. While the favored materials for exteriors

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Figure 2Terranova Pavilion at the 1932 Milano Triennial. (Weber &Broutin archives)

Figure 3Visit by the King of Italy to the Terranova pavilion duringthe 1932 Milano Triennial. (Weber & Broutin archives)

were marble, granite or their more economicalrelati ves, the «smooth, hard, strong, clean, perfect»plasters, as Gaetano Minnucci defined the varioustypes of Terranova (Minnucci 1930), preferences for

interior finishes ran to washable material s such asLincruster; above all, however, ir was glass (in ever-

«Smooth, hard, clean, perl"ect» Terranova, history 01"a modern plaster 967

more sophisticated forms such as Saint Gobain glassbricks, Opaline glass, Desagnat flexible glass, Civertiles) which was preferred for its characteristic

transparency and ability to reflect light.2

For building exteriors in particular, hygienechanged from being a functional requirement to an

aesthetic concem, a guarantee of the smooth, perfectand incorruptible surfaces that were necessary to anarchitecture that relied heavily on simple geometricalelements. Particularly interesting in this connectionare the opinions of two protagonists of thearchitectural experimentation of those years: AlbertoSartoris and Domenico Morelli.

Alberto Sartoris goes so far as to say that thesimplification of architectural form is not acompositional issue but is rigorously functional innature, as self-cleaning forms are an answer to theproblem of material s that rapidly become obsolete:

We have arrived at this type 01"simplification al"ter a closc

scrutiny 01" public mouuments. Observing the nudes

1217

1219

I"ound in all of ltaly's squares, they will be seen to beblackcned under the arms, between the legs, anywhere, inshort, where rainwater does not pass. Under the nose, I"or

instance, even il" the personage represented is not

moustached, the statue will have a pair 01"black whiskers,

because dust builds up under the projections and the

surface will look clean only wherc water tlows oVer it.

Trivial as they may seem, such considerations are

cxtremely important in architecture. (Sartoris 1989).

Domenico Morelli, on the other hand, sees the useof new materials whose value has not yet been provedby experience (he is speaking specifically ofthe «new

plasters» Pietranova, Terranova, Silexore, etc.,),together with the extreme simplification of forms andvolumes, as perhaps the most critical aspect ofRationalist experimentation:

1 bclieve that one of the causes 01" the decay of

Rationalist architecture lies precisel y in the fact that the

material s have not held up to the architects' intentions.

The architecture that preceded this period (the Twenties

1218

1220

TIPI DI INTONACO(L(l. JobSf""'S¡';,!l,¡)

1217 -Intonaco lisciato a fratazzo.

1218.lntonaco 9 raffíato.

1219-lntonaco spruzzato.

1220 -Intonacolama.

9 raffiato con

Figure 4Examplcs of surl"acetreatments: tloat-smoothed plaster. tcxtured plaster. sprayed plaster. sgraffito. Griffini, Enrico Agostino.

1934.La costruzione razionale del/a casa. Milano:Hoepli,437-438.

968

and Thirties) was based on decorations such as carvedfoliage and moldings, and was enriched with statues,

frescoes and so forth. As the years go by, these

decorations become dirty, obsolete, but they nevertheless

retain a character of their own, something that time

cannot take away . . . By contrast, modern architecture is

based on clean, precise surfaces whose only

ornamentation is the rhythm established by the windowopenings. . Sadly, this type of architecture, even if

finished with special plasters, plasters that are a bit out of

the ordinary, solider than before, has not slOod the test of

time and has bctrayed the expectations of its designers

(Morelli 1989).

As Gaetano Minnucci wrote in Architettura ed arti

decorative in 1930:

Trends in plasters have taken two directions, one

concentrating on the plaster's surface form: while in pastyears especially, we have seen a true flowering of

textures, with surfaces streaked, scraped, hammered,

combed, and in short, roughened in every imaginableway, today's preference is for the smooth, hard surface.

The other trend, which is some senses closely connected

10 the first, regards the plaster's composition, and how to

color it in various long-Iasting shades, The introduction

of cement, the use of li vely colors for exterior as well as

interior plasters, the modern spirit to which anything that

could be called architectural decoration is increasinglyforeign, have all contributed to relegating the plasterer's

work in moldings, cornices and modeling 01' all kinds 10

the background, favoring large-scale use of broad,

smooth surfaces, where any projections have elementaryshapes and contours. Wc have thus passed to productions

that arc more industrial in nature, where the economic

factor predominates. . (Minnucci 1930).

Reading between the ¡ines, this ostensibly technical

note expresses both of the contradictory principiesthat, paradoxically, are present even in the«eminently rational pursuits of the Rationalists».

The first contradictory element regards theabolition of decoration in favor of pure functionalism.[f we look carefuIJy at the sketches, design proposals

and buildings of those years, we see that, howeverenergeticaJIy designers may have striven for an

architecture based on functional requirements,decoration was never entirely abandoned, On thecontrary, it crops up again and again: no longer as a

mere adjunct or overlay, but as a synchronic andconsubstantial part of design, In other words, it wasthe material itself that was called upon to perform

E. Garda

decorative functions, almost as an attempt tocounterbalance formal simplification.

It is chiet1y in finish material s, whether they benoble marbles and mirror-bright crystal, or humblermaterial s such as Terranova plasters, Buxus,Lincruster or Linoleum that we can descry, oftenunder the banner of hygiene, a decorative intent.Frequently, this intent is pursued through a reliance

on the chromatic qualities of natural materials and theintense, pure colors of artificiaJ materials,3

The Rationalist architects, in fact, made extensiveuse of color. We must not be deceived by the blackand white photographs we find in the magazine s andjournals of the time, and the washed-out, anemicimage they give us: «the Rationalist house is cheerful,

luminous, colorfu!» (De Guttry, Maino 1988). These

colors are generally pure tones combined in graded orcontrasting shades, as masterfuJIy described byGiacomo Polin:

. . . at the beginning, colors have the names of things:yellow is lemon, red is coral, white is ice or ivory. Later,

these colors, lively bccause natural, rational as are lemons

or coral, shade away into the infinity of the chromaticspectrum, like the malachite green that the numberless

veins of the stone prevent us ever from reaching . . .(Polin, Selvafolta 1982).

The second contradictory element emerges fromthe concluding words of Gaetano Minnucci, when hespeaks of « . . . more industrial in nature, where the

economicfactor predominates . . . » (Minnucci 1930).If, on the one hand, the Rationalist period favored the

humbler materials in deference to an ideological andsocial outlook that hoped to pro vide low-cost,affordable housing through the use of industrialprocesses and mass production, the buildings androom s that were actually created were commissionedby the highly educated and progressive moneyed

classes. Thus, the material s that were born humble aspart of a social program often cnded up, despiteeverything, as luxury materials.

TERRANOV A PLASTER AND THE TECHNICAL

LITERA TURE

As we have seen, Terranova plaster was not a newmaterial, though this is how it was presented. Even inthe technical publications that were designed to provide

«Smooth, hard, clean, perfect» Terranova, history of a modem plaster 969

infonnation about the product, the accent is on itsinnovative character. Terranova, in fact, is numberedamong the «new lightweight plasters» or -adding itspresumed exceptionality to its modemity-among the«special plasters».

The properties that were required for theseproducts, in fact, were light weight (indispensable

for plasters that were applied thickly or were usedto cover thin, light cladding materials), togetherwith high mechanical strength (due to the product'shigh cohesion), good thermal and acoustic

insulation (guaranteed by its cellular structure andcomparatively low density), impermeability,resistance to freezing and weathering (highcohesion increases compactness, thus improvingimpermeability, while the presence of mineral

fibers which «reinforce» the plaster eliminatescrumbling and makes it les s prone to ice damage),and, finally, good pigment absorption (unlike

s o s T E G

1233

1236

N

ordinary plasters, in fact, the new products areimpregnated with color down to a certain depth).

Frequently, claims are also made regarding the

product's «petrifying power» (or in other words, itsability to become rock-hard after a certain period,making it able to withstand extreme temperatures,impact and mechanical damage), which allegedlyguarantees the smooth, perfectly incorruptible surfacesnecessary to an architecture that achieved its effectsthrough the use of simple geometrical elements. Veryoften, in fact, the new plasters, « . . . smooth, hard,clean, perfect», are used as «substitute» materials onfacades, «in place of» the less modem and economicalmarbles and granites (Minnuci 1930).

In addition to Terranova, mention should also bemade of other types of special plaster, namedaccording to the factories that produced them: Jurasit,Pietranova, Silitinto, Stalfit, Terrasit, etc . . .

The cements used for this type of plaster included

o A N T o N e o

1234

1237

A

1235

1238

1233 Rete da intonaco in filo di ferro al1orcigliato. . 1234 Rete da intonaco in filo di ferro sal dato. . 1235.1236Rete da ¡ntonaco in lamiera stirata. ~ 1237.1238 Rete da intonaco con plementi di materiale poroso (terracoHa oSímil!).

Figure 5

Examples of lathing. Twisted wire [ath, welded wire [ath, expanded metal ¡ath, metallath with porous elements (terracotta

or the like). . Griffini,EnricoAgostino.1934.La costruzione razionale della casa, Milano: Hoepli, 439

970

Duralbo cement (an extremely white, fast curinghigh-strength artificial portland cement produced inrotary kilns by Societa Istriana dei Cementi at the

latter's Poi a plant), and Cromocemento (a tinted high-strength Portland cement produced by Soc, An,

Cromocementi of Milano).The technicaI literature also devotes considerable

space to how the new plasters are applied to thelightweight drywall and fiberboard material s thatbegan to make their appearance in those years. The

literature makes a distinction between Erac!it drywa]]panels, and in general all types consisting of woodchip s or magnesium cement, where thin coats of

mortar are sufficient because of the high adhesionbetween the cellulose fibers and the plaster (and onwhich gypsum plasters show exce]]ent performance),and those based on compressed fibers such asInsulite, Masonite, Ce]otex, and so forth, where it isadvisab]e to use galvanized wire lath, and where the

plaster reaches a thickness of around one centimeter.It was also recommended to cover panel joints withstrips of hemp tacked at the intersections (a method ofbridging gaps frequently referred to as «Q cavalletto»

in the handbooks of the period) and then plasteredover.

To complete this brief survey of applying the newpJasters to new materials, mention should a]so be

made of the metal comer beads placed on outsidecomers of adjoining walls at the time they areplastered. One of the most widely used of theseproducts was the «Titano» comer bead patented andmarketed by the producer of Terranova plaster.

While the foregoing remarks appJy in genera] to all

of the «new plasters», it is perhaps worthwhile todwell for a moment on the distinctive characteristicsof Terranova, which, though not the most commonlyused, was without doubt the most wide]y publicized.

In the technical handbooks ofthe period, Terranova isdescribed as a «factory tinted plaster based on rock-hardenable silicates and natural colorants produced in

a wide range of different colors and shades, suppliedin ready-to-use bags in three grain sizes: fine,medium and coarse». 1t is also classified by method

of application, three common categories being«Scraped Terranova», «Sprayed Terranova» and

«Troweled Terranova».A case apart is that of «Hard-grain Terranova»

which, unlike the other types which feature uniformlysized, compact grains -though grain sized differed

E. Garda

according to type- is made up of silica compoundsin graded grain sizes and is thus particularlyluminous.

«Scraped Terranova» is applied to a base coat oflime,

sand and portland cement in four separate operations:Application - Floating - Scraping - Brushing.

- Application is carried out using an ordinaryplasterer's trowel, achieving a thickness of 5 to7mm.

- Floating is performed using an ordinarywooden float. As soon as the plaster begins toset, it is scraped down to a thickness to 5 mm.

- Scraping is performed using an ordinary

chamfer -edged steel scraper.

- Finally, brushing is performed using an

ordinary bristle brush.

The most delicate operation is scraping, as thesuccess of the work depends chietly on it.

Figure 6

Examples of hard-grain Terranova in actual service,

Marescotti, Felice. 1937. «L'intonaco Terranova a grana

dura», Casabella, 110: 41

«Smooth, hard, clean, perfect» Terranova, history of a modem plaster 971

«Sprayed Terranova» is applied to a thickness 01'3

mm using special machinery supplied by the plastermanufacturer, and requires that the underlying base

coat be applied with greater care to avoid unevenness.«Troweled Terranova» is simply troweled on

without further operations.Finally, «Hard-grain Terranova» is applied using

normal plastering tools.

As regards areas 01' application, a distinctionshould be made between the types featuring constantgrain size «<Scraped Terranova», «SprayedTerranova» and «Troweled Terranova»), which areused both on exterior and interior walls, and thosewith variable grain sizes (hard-grain Terranova),whose strength and resistance -being much higherthan that 01' the other grades 01'Terranova- makes itadvisable for walls or portions thereof that are subject

to continual wear, and in particular for wall bases,stairwells, entryways, heavily trafficked areas, workareas and so forth.

TERRANOV A AND THE TEST OF TIME

After discussing the cultural climate that prevailed inthe early years ofTerranova plaster's life, it can be ofinterest to consider its relationship with time in thelight ofwhat Domenico Morelli saw as the «betrayal»

on the part 01'materials.Nor is Morelli alone in his sense 01' betrayal: the

dramatic fragility 01' modern architecture has alsobeen perceived by Marco Dezzi Bardeschi.

Figure 7Costantino Costantini, 1929-1930. Casa del baJilla. Torino

Casa bella,Oecember 193\

Casa per l'lstiluto delle Case Economiche

Toríno" Corso Re Umberto

Figure 8

EmiJio Decker. 1932.

Building designed for the Compagnia

d' Assicurazioni di Torino.L'Architettura Italiana. October 1932

Anonima

The architecture of the Modern Movement is by its very

nature eicastic. rarefied. almost dematerialized; it relies

on pristine surfaces. so clean as to be peremptory . . . it

manifests. proclaims an abso1ute idea that will dominatethrough its sheer, imperious force. But once translatcd

into concrete shape, a1as, it can do naught but follow the

bio1ogical laws that govern its components (Deu.i

Bardeschi ] 986).

For a variety 01'reasons, in fact, be they formal (asin the case 01' certain design solutions such as t1atroofs, walled balconies and facades shorn 01'projections), technological (as where materials were

selected because they were «modern, domesticallyproduced, experimental» even though nothing wasknown 01' their performance in service or over time)

or ideological, such as the decisions stemming fram a

972

machine-oriented aesthetics, we must admit that,however bitter such a realization may be, modernarchitecture is constitutionally and irremediablefragile: it deteriorates more quickly than its advocates

and proponents had foreseen, and thus requiresgreater care and attention than the architecture thatpreceded it. For modern architecture more than forany other kind, it is thus fundamental to employ a

cognitive approach pursued through a fuller anaJysisof case-histories. This type of approach, however, is«often neglected even for buildings that are part of

our everyday knowledge, and about which we ought,in fact, to be able to find out much more» (Bardelli,Rome, 1992).

Figure 9

Contardo Bonicelli. 1929-1933. Indoor swimming pool at

the municipal sports center.Torino.

L 'Architettura italiana, September 1933

Figure lO

Giuseppe Canestri. 1937.Assembly hall,

Fascista Amos Maramotti

L'Architettura Italiana, January 1938

Gruppo Rionale

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If these considerations apply in general to all of thematerials associated with the poetics of Rationalism,it is essential to understand the inherentcharacteristics of Terranova plaster, the mostextensively advertised of its day, if not the mostwideJy used. If the success and survival of a material(Terranova, as we shall see, continues to be produced

and used today) spring from its initial popularity, itstechnical and appearance-related characteristics, and,intimately connected to these characteristics, itsperformance in service and over time, then we cansay that the features that did most to differentiate

Terranova from other earlier or coeval plasters werethe fact that it is factory tinted, applied in relativelythick coats, and reinforced with mineral fibers.

The latter features in particular have ensuredoutstanding technical performance, despite certainapplication problems. With spray processes, for

instance, thickness is hard lO gauge, particularly atjoints.4

In addition, the fact of being a thick, high-buildproduct helps mask imperfections and makes itpossible to use one rather than two final scraping anddecorating stages.5

As for how Terranova has stood the test oftime, wecan say that it has done very well on the whole.Throughout Italy, in fact, we find individual buildings

or whole districts which still retain their Terranovaplaster after sixty years and more, its colors, though

dulled and at times even gloomy, as evocative as ever.Terranova shows good adhesion to the underlying

masonry (sagging, delamination and the like areusually due to water in the wall as a result of local

infiltration and leaky pipes), and deterioration is mostlikely lO be caused by soil buildup in cracks andgaps.6

For these reasons, totally removing damagedTerranova plaster does not appear to be advisable. In

most cases, it is better to take localized action,cleaning the plaster, eliminating structural problems

and patching where necessary.As for the measures that have been introduced to

bring the system up to date (an inevitable process in

view of the new potential offered by manufacturingequipment), the asbestos fibers - now regarded ashazardous and thus no longer usable - added to the

mixture in order to reinforce the plaster and preventcracking have been replaced with other compatible,long-Iasting fibers.

"Smooth, hard, c1ean, perfect» Terranova, history of a modero plaster 973

TERRANOVA AND ITS MANUFACTURER

As indicated earlier, Terranova plaster is still being

produced today, though it has been variously adapted to

meet changing needs and new regulatory requirements.

Thus, the history of this «new material» has, in reality,

lasted over a hundred years. Consequently, a review of

some of the most important moments of this history is

perhaps not without interest. 7

ARISTIDESIRONI\I'mER~E 1.~)I\!'ITliRf: I'ER t;mUZIA~1\ Vil.S¡,W1nUU', lG

MILANO

Jl"PIH""'lIf'lIIk Con,..'gsÚm. ,f'!i '~"oI:""!l1i¡!I{HJvlli

hELosm .\\'VOu;nUU ¡;uu:sst:U"alt>t't'''UI...I..mi"",imi,,¡;<!¡.mit!iuo>,ra .("Ua i-j, ,1..halínna M1IIIifaUurr

t:a I'"I"I'" ((:...n...-

'>OltT\ i>IU'iOI't; "EU.\\!THlt1UESS,\ (Br'~

..,.u.. .';r"';<~"r).

rI.:~ltA IT.\I.1A (ltr dl" t;ri"s-"'T),tu

1',\JtA~I'IG(H,jt ';'ITI'A'd;"lUd..lI.. ilali¡¡nH .lr,""'II"I.,),

I"TONACO Sl'F;f:lAt¡.; P":1t FACCI \TI".INTt:RNl. ':!'(:AU:'" "'IT.

~~qS'.1Ifo1r.,

Figure 11Advertísement

L' architettura Italiana, October 1936

In 1893, Terranova - INDUSTRIECA. KAPFERER&Ca. began manufacturing prepackaged tinted plasterin Germany, and specifically in Freihung, Bavaria.Soon afterwards, the company's success enabled it toset up production units throughout Europe. Around1920, Terranova products began to be marketed inItaly, imported from by Germany by AGENZIA SIRONI

of Milano.In 1932, the German parent company TERRANOVA

and the Milano agency headed by Aristide SIRONI setup an Italian joint-stock company, S.A. INTONACITERRANOV A, headquartered in Via Benaco, Milano.Sprayed Terronova was employed for the first time inthis period for the building s housing the MilanoTriennial (1940-1942).

In 1936, the plant in Via Stephenson 70, Milano,was inaugurated. This plant is still active today.

In 1939, the Civitavecchia plant was inaugurated,producing Teranova plaster for southern Italy and thecolonies. The plant was shut down in 1956.

<vycRA No¡..-<,. <1

LA GRAN MARCA PREFERITA

Figure 12AdvertisementRassegna di Architettura, June 1937

974

In 1945, the SIRONIfamily bought out the German-held shares to set up a new, all-ltalian company,SOCJETÁITALIANAINTONACITERRANOVA.In the early50s, the company's production included scrapedTerranova, troweled Terranova, sprayed Terranova

and hard-grain Terranova. In 1956, production ofplastic-based products (the Ferdian Plast line) gotunder way, and these products were graduallyintroduced alongside mineral plasters.

Between 1980 and 1985, silicate plasters weredeveloped under the tradename Terrasil.

In 1987, the Austrian TERRANOVAunit bought100% of the shares of Soco ITALIANA INTONACJTERRANOVA, at the same acquiring full ownership ofSOCo TERRANOVA throughout Europe. This was thesame year that saw the introduction of Terrasan repairplasters and Terratherm insulating plasters.

In 1993, on its hundredth anniversary, TERRANOVA

Figure 13-14

Advertising brochure, 196(),;(Weber & Broutin archives)

E. Garda

ITALIAsponsored the restoration of Casa MALAPARTEin Capri.

In July 1993, the Austrian TERRANOVAGroup andall TERRANOVA companies controlled by it (in ltaly,Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic andSlovakia) were acquired by WEBER & BROUTlN ofParis, the leading European producer of ready mix

tinted plasters for construction application. Under thenew ownership, TERRANOVAcontinues to develop theplasters that made it famous. Once the name of thecompany, TERRANOVA becomes the name of the

product.Several of the products featured in the current

catalog, including marbled Terranova, sprayed

Terranova, and troweled Terranova, can be compared

to the historical Terranova plasters, though they havebe en adapted to ret1ect more recent technical needsand market demand (WEBER & BROUT/N 1997).

Lorena.GRANULARELAVORATO

Lorena.RULLO FlNERULLO RUSTlCORULLO SIMPlY

Boe:rniaTHIN

«Smooth, hard, clean, perfect» Terranova, history of a modern plaster 975

Figure 15

Promotional work produced using Terranova plaster by thepainter Zapparoli-Sironi. (Weber & Broutin archives)

NOTES

1. «Factory tinted» means that pigments were mixed into

the product during production.

Lincruster: An interior trim material based on boiled

linseed oil, normally spread on paperboard and in some

cases on canvas. It was produced in three differenttypes, smooth, imitation silk, and relief. with a wide

range of patterns and shimmering iridescent colors of

great decorative impact.

Opaline glas.\": A type of glass tinted by mixing coloring

oxides into the batch, so that the color is uniform

throughout the thickness of the product. Sheets 01' tiles

of Opaline glass were produced in three types: polished

on one face, polished on both faces, and unpolished. At

the beginning, only two colors-

milk white and black-were available, as they were the only ones in highdemand, given the striking decorative effects obtainedby using them in combination, The color range was later

extended to satisfy a larger variety of needs, particular1y

in interior decoration,Desagnat flexible glass: A patented product consisting

of 50x50 cm sheets of glass with cuts in bothperpendicular directions across the sheet to form a large

num ber of tiny tesserae secured to a thin backing ofstrong fabrico These tesserae were colored and/or

decorated on one of the two faces, and could move

relative to each other so that the entire panel wasperfectly flexible in both horizontal and vertical

directions. Many versions were available, with mirror-

finish or gilded surfaces, solid colors, and veined,

streaked or marbled effects.

2.

3,

Civer tiles: Tiles consisting of a special vitreouscompound, perfectly smooth on one si de and granular

on the other. Their regularity and uniformity are similar

to Opal ine glass.

For the characteristics of the new material s that wereput on the market during the Twenties and their

importance to architecture, see Garda (1991),

Buxus: A solid, e1astic material with swirling, briar-like

streaks obtained through a cel1ulose ossificationprocess, and one of the most commonly used substitutes

for wood in the Thirties. Ir was produced by the

Giacomo Bosso paper mili of Torino in two differenttypes: the soft-cured version (Corium) used for boxes,

suitcases, etc., and tme Buxus, used in all areas of

architecture and interior decoration.

On the use of Buxus as a «substitute» material, see Thea(1983); Garda (2000).

Prob1ems resulting from incorrect application times,

from allowing excessive 01' insufficient time between

the first and second coats, and from insufficient

thickness on the part of the underIying base coat are

most obvious at the joints.

Thc further development of this concept, j.e., that ofreducing the number of coats and thus cutting labor

costs, led to the introduction of single-coat ready mix

factory tinted products such as the «Monocappa» plaster

which became particularly popular in France from the

'80s onwards.As regards weather resistance, it has been found that

Terranova plaster holds up wel1 under heavy rains,

though frequent acid rain can interact with certain

pigments and cause them to fade.

The following account of the company' s history and itsproducts was compiled with the help of Manfredo

Barberis (Product Marketing -Manager, Technical

Mortars and Repair Products Division- Weber &Broutin, Italy).

4.

5.

6.

7.

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