Terracotta screen wall design can turn arrival, framed views, planted pauses and guest-room approaches into a garden-like spatial sequence.
The verified ICON HOTEL case in Shenzhen shows that visual strategy clearly. This guide uses the project as a design reference while separating the published appearance from product identity, structural support, guarding, fire, accessibility, enclosure and maintenance evidence.
Verified project record
| Project | ICON HOTEL, also published as Shenzhen RANZ ICON Hotel |
|---|---|
| Location | Shenzhen, China |
| Completion | 2020, according to the designer-provided project record |
| Project area | 12,000 m² total hotel project area; this is not screen-wall area or material quantity |
| Interior design | TOMO DESIGN / 東木筑造 TO ACC; lead designers Uno Chan (陈贤栋), Ben Zhang (张耿宾) and Xiao Fei (肖菲) |
| Photography | Jack Qin / 覃昭量 |
| Published screen description | Three customised, high ceramic-brick screen walls in the lobby; further panels and planted thresholds contribute to guest-area approaches |
| Undisclosed fields | Exact material/product identity, maker/supplier, LOPO role, SKU, unit geometry/tolerance/mass, quantity, support/fixing, joints, fire classification, cleaning method and screen-specific test evidence |
The project identity, credits, year, area and design narrative follow the project account shared by TOMO with Gooood. This source identifies the design project, but it does not establish a LOPO supply or system role.
Design a sequence, not an isolated decorative wall
A garden-like interior is experienced over time. Map the route from entrance to reception, lounge, lift, corridor and guest-room threshold; then decide what is visible, partially visible or concealed at each step. The screen can slow or redirect attention, but the required accessible and egress routes must remain direct, legible and compliant.
Conceal and reveal
Use an offset or layered screen to withhold the next space without creating a confusing dead end. Draw eye-level views in both directions and include staff, service and emergency routes.
Frame a view
Align openings with a tree, artwork, reception point or destination. Treat the frame as a designed viewpoint rather than assuming every aperture produces meaningful framed scenery.
Borrow an adjacent scene
Connect interior planting, daylight or a real courtyard visually while keeping ownership, access, privacy, acoustics and enclosure functions explicit. A borrowed view is not a substitute for those systems.
Coordinate routes, thresholds and sightlines
| Design device | Coordination question | Approval evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival screen | What is concealed on entry, and can guests still find reception, lifts, exits and accessible routes without ambiguity? | Plans, route/wayfinding study, eye-level views, accessibility and egress review |
| Layered lobby wall | How do solid zones, openings, light and furniture shape movement without creating blind corners or unsafe pinch points? | Dimensioned plan/elevations, circulation clearances, lighting study and full-scale bay |
| Planted pause | Can planting, irrigation, drainage and maintenance be accessed without wetting, staining or damaging the screen and adjacent floor? | Planter/waterproofing/drainage details, cleaning trial and maintenance access plan |
| Corridor threshold | Does a turn or screen improve privacy while preserving required width, headroom, door operation, visibility and emergency movement? | Code/operations review, door and services coordination, sightline drawings and mock-up |
| Guest-room approach | What is the intended privacy gradient, and does the arrangement remain intuitive for guests, staff and rescue access? | Room/corridor plans, lighting/wayfinding, accessibility, security and operations review |
Raised floors or level changes are not necessary to achieve a layered route. If proposed, resolve ramps or steps, edges, guards, visual contrast, drainage, floor build-up and accessible alternatives from the project requirements rather than copying the photographed composition.
Define whether the element is a screen, guard or enclosure
An open interior screen can shape views and movement without being a wall assembly. State every required function before selecting units or support. If the element is also expected to resist people, span an opening, form a guard, separate fire or smoke zones, provide acoustic/privacy separation, or divide conditioned space from an exterior court, it needs the complete project-specific assembly and evidence for that role.
| Freestanding screen | Engineer unit support, base/top/side restraint, out-of-plane actions, impact, accidental loads, movement, seismic effects where applicable, falling-object risk and safe replacement. |
|---|---|
| Guard or fall boundary | Do not assume an open screen is a guard. Verify regulated height, openings/climbability, loads, deflection, attachment and adjacent furniture or raised levels for the complete guard assembly. |
| Fire or smoke separation | Do not treat openwork units as a fire/smoke barrier. Coordinate fire classification, compartmentation, egress, sprinkler/detector coverage, smoke control, penetrations and local approvals. |
| Exterior/courtyard enclosure | Keep the primary air, water, drainage, thermal and fire-control layers continuous. Resolve sills, bases, tops, returns, flashings, thresholds and interfaces independently of the decorative screen. |
| Acoustic or privacy boundary | Openings transmit sight and sound. Validate the actual geometry and complete room construction against the project privacy/acoustic brief rather than relying on screen density alone. |
Identify the exact unit and support route
The terms “terracotta tile,” “ceramic brick,” “screen block,” “jali” and “openwork unit” are not interchangeable product approvals. Record the proposed manufacturer and plant, current item or controlled custom-development reference, intended use, face/back/section, dimensions and tolerances, unit mass, finish, openings, edges and permitted cuts or penetrations.
- dimensioned units, walls/cavities and bearing or attachment zones, including permitted orientation;
- support/frame, anchors, connections and base/top/side terminations with load path and movement allowances;
- substrate or structure, surveyed tolerances, setting out, cumulative drift and sequence of installation;
- joints, mortar/adhesive or mechanical components as applicable, compatible metals and separation against corrosion or staining;
- interfaces with floors, ceilings, glazing, doors, furniture, lighting, services, planting and cleaning access;
- project-relevant structural, fire, impact, moisture, finish and other test/certification evidence; and
- inspection hold points, nonconformance route, as-builts, labelled spares and safe removal/replacement method.
No generic unit size, joint width, support spacing, mortar/adhesive, anchor, opening ratio, wall height or acceptance threshold is supplied here. The responsible designers, engineers, product/system suppliers, contractors and authorities must approve these fields for the actual project.
Resolve light, privacy, planting and cleaning together
Model important views from standing, seated and accessible eye levels, in both directions and under daytime and night lighting. A pale open grid may appear opaque against a bright background and transparent when lighting reverses. Coordinate luminaires, glare, shadows, security visibility and room privacy using the actual proposed geometry and finishes.
Interior trees and planters create a focal scene but add irrigation, leaf litter, soil, humidity, access and cleaning interfaces. Keep water management within a designed planter and floor system; show membranes, upstands, drains, overflows, splash zones and maintainable clearances. Trial cleaning on the exact finish and adjacent metal, glass, stone, grout or sealant before approval.
Build a representative mock-up
Map the sequence
Draw arrival-to-destination routes, priority views, concealed areas, accessible/egress paths, staff/service access and intended pause points.
Freeze product identity
Approve current labelled units and range samples before detailing the module, joints, cuts, support interfaces and replacement stock.
Coordinate the assembly
Resolve structure, base/top/returns, movement, floor/ceiling, doors, glazing, services, lighting, planting, fire and enclosure boundaries.
Mock up a critical bay
Include a representative corner or return, termination, floor/base, top, adjacent material, lighting condition and planted or cleaning interface.
Test required functions
Use project-approved methods for structural, impact, guard, fire, finish, cleaning or other applicable functions; a visual mock-up alone is not performance proof.
Record the installed benchmark
Approve module, alignment, range, joints, interfaces and workmanship; preserve traceable photos, samples, inspections and nonconformance decisions.
Use related resources for separate decisions
This page focuses on interior sequence and screen/enclosure boundaries. Use the current product page to identify candidate screen-block families; use the openwork light-and-shadow case for exterior light effects; and use the brick-pattern guide for broader bonding and composition ideas. None replaces exact-product or complete-assembly approval.
Prepare a screen-wall enquiry
Share plans, key sightlines, accessible and egress routes, intended screen/enclosure functions, dimensions, exposure, adjacent materials, finish intent and applicable project requirements. LOPO can review candidate fired-clay units and samples; the project team remains responsible for the complete assembly, engineering and approvals.