Guastavino tile

[3] Guastavino tile is found in some of the most prominent Beaux-Arts structures in New York and Massachusetts, as well as in major buildings across the United States.

The large openings framed by the support arches were then filled in with thin Guastavino tiles fabricated into domed surfaces.

Each ceiling tile was cantilevered out over the open space, relying only on the quick-drying cements developed by the company.

This permits flatter arch profiles, which would produce unacceptable horizontal thrust if constructed in thicker, heavier masonry.

[4] In 2012, a group of students under supervision of MIT professor John Ochsendorf built a full-scale reproduction of a small Guastavino vault.

[8] In addition, Ochsendorf directs the Guastavino Project at MIT, which researches and maintains the Guastavino.net online archive of related materials.