Case Study: Entrance to Luxury New York Condo Embellished With Custom Terra Cotta Rainscreen System

Words: Dan Kamys

Flashing and Drainage

Rainscreen System The Western Specialty Contractors Facades Division (Ridgefield, N.J.) has helped to transform the discreet entrance to one of Manhattan’s most luxurious condominium high-rise buildings into a functional work of art. Rainscreen SystemLocated at E22nd Street in the Flatiron District is the entrance to an award-winning, modern high-rise featuring some of Manhattan’s most luxurious condominiums (prices start at $10.5 million for a 3-bedroom apartment and $72 million for the penthouse). Its private entrance was made up of concrete columns and spandrels with large windows covering the majority of the south elevation. Its lobby often features commissioned artwork. Western Specialty Contractors was hired by Lend Lease Project Management and Construction to install a terra cotta rainscreen system on the entrance’s façade at a total cost of $1 million. Work began with a laser survey of the concrete structure. Boston Valley Terra Cotta would use the survey to custom-design a terra cotta façade for the building. Multiple trips were required by Western crews to Boston Valley’s manufacturing plant in Buffalo, N.Y., for dimension verification and revisions to the shop drawings to ensure that the system would fit a variety of conditions. Rainscreen SystemOnce the terra cotta rainscreen system design was finalized and its fabrication complete, Western crews began waterproofing/insulating the building’s entrance using a Sika Air-Vapor Barrier and Roxul mineral wood insulation, hung with aluminum pins. Western then installed the rainscreen metal girt and track support system to carry the terra cotta façade, then sealed the window mullions at the perimeters. The challenging work for Western began with installation of the decorative, vertical terra cotta fins, which were supported with a steel tube spine system outboard of the wall tiles, some of which spanned over windows from floor to floor to create a “floating fin” effect. The terra cotta tiles were then set on the support system at columns, spandrels, window returns, soffits, floating fins and the entrance return. The runs spanned from the sidewalk level to the top of the structure, which is approximately 65 feet tall. Lastly, Western crews installed colored aluminum sills to complete the system. Each terra cotta tile, which had a natural color finish, had to be meticulously installed by Western crews based on the architect’s specified color pattern. Multiple site visits with the architect were required to confirm the colors and final tile placement.
Turning Visualization into Opportunity: How Digital Design Tools Are Supporting Today’s Masonry Contractors
April 2026

Today’s homeowners are taking a proactive approach to planning and design. Before reaching out to a contractor, many clients spend hours researching products, comparing materials, and building inspiration boards online. By the time they request a quote,

Sarah Lograsso
MAP Partner
Read More
Smarter Time Tracking on the Jobsite: Introducing Geofence Notifications and Logging in CrewTracks
April 2026

For masonry contractors, time tracking is more than just a payroll task; it’s a key part of managing crews, understanding job costs, and keeping projects running smoothly. Yet many companies still struggle with one common challenge: making sure employees

Erin Koets
MAP Partner
Read More
Outreach Outlook: Building Momentum Across the Southern Region
April 2026

As April arrives, the pace of our outreach and workforce efforts across the Southern Region reaches a new level of intensity. This is the time of year when our programs, partners, and state collaborators all accelerate at once. SkillsUSA competitions are

Conner Birdsong
Outreach Outlook
Read More
Marvelous Masonry: Elbphilharmonie
April 2026

Most people know the Elbphilharmonie for its glass façade and dramatic roofline. From a distance, that’s what defines the skyline in Hamburg’s HafenCity district. But for masonry contractors and suppliers, the real story starts at the base.

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More