Traditional polished lime plasters have been gaining much attention recently – with more people seeking a stunning seamless finish, especially for bathrooms and wet areas.
These finishes are not something new – in fact they have been around for thousands of years and one of the most well-known finishes is Tadelakt, sourced from the mountains of Morocco.
Marrakesh is known as the ‘jewel of the orient’ and rightly so. With its snake-charmers, storytellers, fire eaters, drummers, henna painters, beggars and al fresco restaurants, the lively atmosphere of the town square has led UNESCO to add the capital city of Morocco to the category of “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.”
Entrenched in this colourful and creative scene are architectural techniques and traditions that go back thousands of years. The colourful facades, smooth surfaces, patina doorways and rustic finishes on the exterior and interior of buildings pay homage to both the natural building materials and the artisans who used them.
Thousands of years ago, people looked to nature for building materials and inspiration. Morocco was no exception with limestone, clay, sand stones, straw and water playing important roles in Moroccan architecture. In the mountains near the town of Marrakesh, the search for limestone in the eleventh century led to a unique deposit which became the source of Tadelakt – the polished lime plaster for which the region of Marrakesh would ultimately be known around the world.
Tadelakt translations from Arabic into English vary but include “kneaded plaster” and “massage with a stone” which reflects the finishing technique used by the Tadelakt artisans.
The preparation and application of Tadelakt is a lengthy and involved process, one which was handed down through generations of artisans.
The limestone deposit contains impurities making the lime slightly hydraulic which gave it waterproofing qualities ideal for exterior facades, small drinking vessels and public bath houses (“hammams”). The lime was extracted from the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains, and burnt or calcined in hand-tended wood-fired kilns packed with timber.
The temperature was raised to high temperatures and the lime burnt for up to 30 hours under the watchful eye of an experienced baker who was able to adjust the temperature based on the colour of the flame. After cooling, the lime would be crushed – nothing else was added except water immediately prior to application.
The original Tadelakt artisans believed that to appreciate the allure of Tadelakt it was necessary to caress it. Even today visitors to the area describe how they feel compelled to touch the walls -experience rather than simply look at the texture. The Tadelakt surface has been described by artisans as being as hard as stone yet as soft as silk.
It’s not surprising that the artisans had such a strong affinity with the product as the application was a highly skilled, time consuming and intricate process. The calcined powder was hand-mixed with water and pigment added, the thickness of the paste dependent on the absorbency of the substrate. Multiple (4-6) thin layers were sometimes applied, with each layer left to dry until the surface could be worked again. The surface would then be hand polished with a small, hard polishing stone (basalt or granite could be used but harder stones were much better – such as agate or tiger-eye).
Timing was of the essence throughout the entire process as the artisan needed to understand the properties of the material, the amount of moisture in the air, the substrate and many other factors to determine whether the material was dry enough for the next layer, or to begin polishing. The polishing process could take days or months depending on the size of the project and the level of polish sought….a labour of love for sure. After polishing, black olive soap was used for waterproofing.
Inconsistencies in the product brought about by the relatively ad hoc calcining process were compensated for by experienced artisans or tolerated as part of the natural Tadelakt look. Hairline cracks were generally seen as decorative and adding to the unique look and feel of the surface.
The incredible thing about Tadelakt is that many of the surfaces that were created centuries ago are still intact and in fact have more character than they did originally.
These finishes are not something new – in fact they have been around for thousands of years and one of the most well-known finishes is Tadelakt, sourced from the mountains of Morocco.
Marrakesh is known as the ‘jewel of the orient’ and rightly so. With its snake-charmers, storytellers, fire eaters, drummers, henna painters, beggars and al fresco restaurants, the lively atmosphere of the town square has led UNESCO to add the capital city of Morocco to the category of “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.”
Entrenched in this colourful and creative scene are architectural techniques and traditions that go back thousands of years. The colourful facades, smooth surfaces, patina doorways and rustic finishes on the exterior and interior of buildings pay homage to both the natural building materials and the artisans who used them.
Thousands of years ago, people looked to nature for building materials and inspiration. Morocco was no exception with limestone, clay, sand stones, straw and water playing important roles in Moroccan architecture. In the mountains near the town of Marrakesh, the search for limestone in the eleventh century led to a unique deposit which became the source of Tadelakt – the polished lime plaster for which the region of Marrakesh would ultimately be known around the world.
Tadelakt translations from Arabic into English vary but include “kneaded plaster” and “massage with a stone” which reflects the finishing technique used by the Tadelakt artisans.
The preparation and application of Tadelakt is a lengthy and involved process, one which was handed down through generations of artisans.
The limestone deposit contains impurities making the lime slightly hydraulic which gave it waterproofing qualities ideal for exterior facades, small drinking vessels and public bath houses (“hammams”). The lime was extracted from the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains, and burnt or calcined in hand-tended wood-fired kilns packed with timber.
The temperature was raised to high temperatures and the lime burnt for up to 30 hours under the watchful eye of an experienced baker who was able to adjust the temperature based on the colour of the flame. After cooling, the lime would be crushed – nothing else was added except water immediately prior to application.
The original Tadelakt artisans believed that to appreciate the allure of Tadelakt it was necessary to caress it. Even today visitors to the area describe how they feel compelled to touch the walls -experience rather than simply look at the texture. The Tadelakt surface has been described by artisans as being as hard as stone yet as soft as silk.
It’s not surprising that the artisans had such a strong affinity with the product as the application was a highly skilled, time consuming and intricate process. The calcined powder was hand-mixed with water and pigment added, the thickness of the paste dependent on the absorbency of the substrate. Multiple (4-6) thin layers were sometimes applied, with each layer left to dry until the surface could be worked again. The surface would then be hand polished with a small, hard polishing stone (basalt or granite could be used but harder stones were much better – such as agate or tiger-eye).
Timing was of the essence throughout the entire process as the artisan needed to understand the properties of the material, the amount of moisture in the air, the substrate and many other factors to determine whether the material was dry enough for the next layer, or to begin polishing. The polishing process could take days or months depending on the size of the project and the level of polish sought….a labour of love for sure. After polishing, black olive soap was used for waterproofing.
Inconsistencies in the product brought about by the relatively ad hoc calcining process were compensated for by experienced artisans or tolerated as part of the natural Tadelakt look. Hairline cracks were generally seen as decorative and adding to the unique look and feel of the surface.
The incredible thing about Tadelakt is that many of the surfaces that were created centuries ago are still intact and in fact have more character than they did originally.
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