The rounded walls
A house like a red clay sculpture.
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Casa Terracota is a house of fired clay on the edge of Villa de Leyva in Boyacá, designed by the Colombian architect Octavio Mendoza. The local press describes it as the largest piece of ceramic in the world, and from outside it looks like a red clay sculpture, with rounded walls and no sharp corners. Mendoza says he drew the idea from potters, watching them make pots and vessels. Building took 13 years and used nearly 1,000 tons of clay, according to El País, all of it shaped by hand without machinery and then fired in kilns made for the purpose. The house covers 500 square metres on two floors, at a height equal to five storeys. You wander between rooms and steps whose walls flow into each other, with almost everything made of clay: beds, seats and basins. Inside, colourful mosaics of ceramic pieces cover the bathrooms and some surfaces, and the rounded windows have strange shapes. The roof has a winding red stair and small figures, with a view of the mountains around town. The dry garden suits the colour of the walls. The house is 1.3 km in a straight line west of the main square, and El País puts the walk at about 22 minutes. It gets crowded at weekends. The steps are uneven, so take care, especially with children. The best light comes in the morning and late in the day, when the clay glows.
A house like a red clay sculpture.
Colourful ceramic pieces inside.
A winding red stair and mountain view.
West of the main square, Villa de Leyva, Boyacá department
Yes, it was shaped by hand from nearly 1,000 tons of clay and fired in special kilns, according to El País.
Yes, El País puts the walk at about 22 minutes, and taxis are available too.
