Guastavino tile

Who is Guastavino tile?

Guastavino tile is the "Tile Arch System" patented in the United States in 1885 by Valencian architect and builder Rafael Guastavino. It is a technique for constructing robust, self-supporting arches and architectural vaults using interlocking terracotta tiles and layers of mortar to form a thin skin, with the tiles following the curve of the roof as opposed to horizontally, or perpendicular to the curve. This is known as timbrel vaulting, because of supposed likeness to the skin of a timbrel or tambourine, or "Catalan vaulting". Guastavino tile is found in some of New York’s most prominent Beaux-Arts landmarks and in major buildings across the United States.