Ewa Barczyk

EQUITONE

When Ludwig Hatscheck invented fibre cement in the late 19th century, he combined the basic elements of the earth: mineral materials, water, air and fire (heat) in a simple filtration process. He named the resulting material ̈Eternit ̈, hinting at the superior durability of this new material. Our mother company, Etex, has been manufacturing fibre cement materials since 1905. The most prestigious incarnation in this proud heritage of unique materials is the EQUITONE® facade material range. The Hatscheck production process makes each EQUITONE facade panel unique with an individual fibre cement texture. Most EQUITONE facade materials are not treated with covering colour coatings and give the equitoned, or through-coloured, materials a raw, unfinished character. In the 1950s leading architects such as Walter Gropius pioneered the use of coated fibre cement panels using the ventilated facade (rainscreen) system. Designer Willy Guhl created the famous "loop chair" from 1 piece of fibre cement in 1954. This design still bears witness to the core qualities of the fibre cement base material: thin, light yet indestructible and beautiful. In 1987, Herzog & De Meuron designed the Ricola storage building in Laufen using uncoated fibre cement panels. The resulting shutter facade, which is a reference to the cardboard boxes inside, inspired our company to start the industrial development of raw untreated fibre cement materials. Today, EQUITONE has a full range of through-coloured, untreated fibre cement materials. Leading architects of our time are exploring, transforming and reinventing the EQUITONE material in remarkable facade designs. EQUITONE facade materials offer unparalleled design flexibility. The fibre cement material is through-coloured, which means the surface displays the inner texture and colour of the core eternit material. No matter what facade design options you explore, the through-coloured materials can be transformed into crisp, monolithic facade details.