TTC Sherbourne: Fabricating Mosaic Sections

12th September 2018 By Admin

The production of the Sherbourne Community Mosaic panels has gone really well and we have now nearly completed the fabrication phase of the project.

The design of each panel was created by blending together different geometric patterns that we collected from around the Toronto’s Sherbourne community over three weeks in March and April, 2018.

We are very grateful to the ~450 people of all ages (who live, work and go to school within a 5-10 min walk of TTC Sherbourne station) for participating at one or more of the 24 pattern-making workshops.  Over 700 amazing triangular tile patterns were contributed to the project – Thank you everyone!

You can find a photo of every pattern on the Sherbourne Community Mosaic Facebook page.  ‘Like’ the page to get future project updates.

Approximately 14,000 equilateral triangle ceramic tiles are needed for the Sherbourne Community Mosaic and each one has been hand-made from Earthenglass™, a blend of 100% recycled glass with clay and porcelain.

Twelve different colours of tiles have been specially crafted for this project.  These colours were inspired by the paint palette of Canadian painter, Tom Thomson, who at one time had his studio in the Rosedale Ravine, near TTC Sherbourne before the station existed.

Each of the thirty-nine Sherbourne Community Mosaic panels has been fabricated and will be installed in smaller sections.  The mosaic panels will be located throughout TTC Sherbourne and cover a total of 400 square feet.

There are up to forty-eight tiles in a section and each tile is laid by hand.  We use a template to help copy from the original designs and a special jig that spaces the tiles evenly.

The tiles at the top and bottom rows of each panel are cut in half with a wet saw so that they will fit square.

After each section is face-taped together, it is given an identifying number that references a map of each panel.

The final stage of the fabrication is to carefully pack each section into boxes ready for transport to TTC Sherbourne for installation.

We give our special thanks to Judy Bayer for her generous support.  Her hard work, helping to count tiles and piece the panels together, has been greatly appreciated!

The Sherbourne Station Community Mosaic public artwork has been commissioned by the Toronto Transit Commission as part of the Easier Access and Second Exit Program.

TTC Sherbourne: Custom Tile Production Almost Complete

5th September 2018 By Admin

Over the last few weeks we’ve been completing the fabrication of the approximately 14,000 custom ceramic tiles needed for the  Sherbourne Community Mosaic.  The final artwork, to be located throughout Toronto’s TTC Sherbourne station, will total 400 square feet in area.  The equilateral triangle tiles are hand-made from Earthenglass™, a blend of 100% recycled glass with clay and porcelain and are produced by Interstyle Ceramic + Glass in Burnaby, BC.

We’ve developed 12 bespoke colours for the mosaic tiles that have been inspired by the paint palette of Canadian painter, Tom Thomson.

Thomson once had a studio in the Toronto neighbourhood where the mosaic will be located.

After the tile bisque has been fired once in the kiln the coloured glazes are carefully sprayed onto the triangles.  The tiles are weighed to ensure the correct amount of glazing has been applied.

The glazed tile bisque is loaded onto trays ready to be feed into the giant kiln

The giant kiln.

Even though they look delicious these tasty treats are not for eating.

Grey and Red tiles lined up to get fired.

The glazed bisque tiles are then re-fired in the kiln at temperatures over 1,200 degrees Celsius – that’s HOT!!!

The beautiful new ceramic tiles are now ready to be assembled into the Sherbourne Community Mosaic!

TTC Sherbourne: Custom Tile Production

15th August 2018 By Admin

Mike Hauner, Partner at Interstyle Ceramic + Glass presenting the first batch of tile bisque.

After months of planning, the Sherbourne Community Mosaic has entered the fabrication phase.  The 39 mosaic panels that will form the Sherbourne Community Mosaic will cover 400SF of the TTC Sherbourne Station.

The approximately 14,000 custom ceramic tiles are being produced in Canada by Interstyle Ceramic + Glass in Burnaby, BC.  The equilateral triangle tiles are hand-made from Earthenglass™, a blend of 100% recycled glass with clay and porcelain.

In partnership with Interstyle Ceramic + Glass we’ve developed 12 bespoke colours that have been inspired by the paint palette of Canadian painter, Tom Thomson.  Thomson once had a studio in the Toronto neighbourhood where the mosaic will be located.  The 12 colour glazes match the coloured cardboard tiles that we used in the Sherbourne Community Mosaic pattern-making workshop series held around TTC Sherbourne in April.

To make the tile bisque the clay mix is rolled flat and then cut into equilateral triangles using a custom die.

Unglazed tile bisque.

Inspecting the freshly baked tile bisque.

Custom colour test samples in the glazing ‘kitchen’.

Interstyle Ceramic + Glass, Burnaby, B.C. Canada.