Swisspearl Architecture magazine.
The Swisspearl Architecture magazine appears once a year and features buildings representing a wide variety of typologies and scales, built in an expansive geographic range and several different categories.
Let yourself be inspired and subscribe to our magazine to be sure you will not miss any new issue.
subscribe
Swisspearl largo.
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Freedom of design without limits
The Swisspearl Largo panels give façades what they need: a face, individuality, character, texture, color and, very importantly, a highly effective protective layer. Swisspearl Largo allows an immense range of possibilities for the design of façades, with an extensive selection of surface options, various types of joints and fastenings, and panel formats that can be freely selected within the maximum useable size. For visible creativity and to meet the highest aesthetic requirements, in proven Swisspearl quality.
colors
A wide range of more than 70 colors.
Installation
The whole range from flat layer to lapped coverings, with face or concealed fastening.
Production process.
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The winning formula of Swisspearl fiber cement panels
Natural raw materials and consistent ingenuity are the basis of the winning formula for a product that is more than 100 years old but has never become outdated - architecture can no longer imagine a time without it. In hand, fiber cement reveals its homogeneous materiality and a high surface quality. To look at it, its unique character, natural texture and varied coloration in harmony with the material are what strike the eye.
Production of Swisspearl fiber cement panels
With expertise, precision and craftsmanship, these elements come together to create unique panels. Cement, wood pulp and reinforcing fibers are blended along with water to form a raw mixture. The product has been scrupulously monitored for quality through the processes of winding, pressing, cutting, drying and coloring.
The binding agent used in Swisspearl products is Swiss Portland cement. This ingredient, sintered from limestone and marl clay, is by proportion the most important base material. It is produced through firing of limestone together with marl. It is the binding of the lime with the silicic acid contained in the marl that gives the fiber cement its outstanding compressive strength. Additives such as powdered limestone improve certain characteristics of the cement and help produce a uniform product quality.
Synthetic and organic polyvinyl alcohol fibers are used as reinforcement. These fibers also find use in the textiles industry, in clothing, protective linings, non-woven fabrics as well as in medical suturing thread.
Processing fibers are made from cellulose wood fibers, similar to what is used in the paper industry. Sometimes recycled waste paper is also used. These wood-based fibers prevent separation of the cement-water mixture during the production process. A few of the fiber cement products contain polyethylene (PE) fibers as an additive. The cellulose pulp that is useful only during the manufacturing stage dissolves over time. The resulting hollow spaces are filled in with the crystalline hydration products of the cement that form. This produces the durable increase in strength in the final product.
The water that remains after the product has solidified ensures further reinforcement throughout the product’s lifetime. Only a negligible quantity of water remains in the hardened fiber cement, which helps in the hardening (hydration) process of the cement stone.
Air is present in the form of microscopic pores. These serve as space for expansion of water when it freezes and prevent distortions due to frost. Similar to modern textile fabrics, the micropore system produces a regulating, breathable and watertight building material. The processing fibers are supplied in the form of cardboard and added to a pulper, an enormous mixing device, together with water which dissolves the pulp into individual fibers; the mix is then further refined in a refining machine. Until they are used, they remain in huge wooden vats and are stirred constantly. In the meantime, the reinforcement fibers are delivered in bales that are then mechanically loosened and thoroughly mixed in with the cement and water. Finally, all ingredients are added to a large mixer and combined thoroughly. The mixture, with cement as the paste, is now ready for production of the wide range of fiber cement products.
In order to produce the large-format panels, the mixture is then conveyed to the plating machine; analogous to what happens in the manufacturing of paper, it is then wound in several layers on format rolls to reach the desired thickness. The next step moves the preformed panels to the stamping machine, where the exact size is punched out. The product then continues to the pressing machining, where both excess water is squeezed out and the desired thickness is achieved. In order to be able to use the panel, it first must be allowed to air dry for approximately 4 weeks. As a final step after the drying is complete, an appropriate coating is applied. From a liquid mix containing a number of different ingredients comes the durable, esthetically-pleasing and high quality Swisspearl fiber cement panels; thanks to the many advantages, these can continue to be admired for years to come on façades everywhere.
Nice to know
The Swisspearl brand consists of a merging of two words:
SWISS
We guarantee Swiss quality and reliability:
PEARL
Our cement panels are like pearls – a blend of many different materials layered together.
A SWISS PEARL FOR THE WORLD!
ABOUT US.
| close
A Swiss company with a great deal of tradition
For many years now, Swisspearl has been developing innovative and sustainable products made of natural materials, in the spirit of invention and with expert skills, for use in the building envelope, the interior design and the garden - fully focused on aesthetics, quality and responsibility towards people and the environment.
Swisspearl products from the workshops in Niederurnen and Payerne in Switzerland have become an essential part of Swiss building culture, and have also quickly won over the rest of the (building) world. Swisspearl works around the world with more than sixty contractual partners in over fifty countries, thereby ensuring that it is always close to its customers. The guiding principle and driving spirit of Swisspearl are its own high quality requirements and the will to develop and produce forward-looking, functionally and aesthetically convincing designs in an ongoing partnership with architects, designers, craftspeople and building material suppliers. Swisspearl is the only manufacturer which has mastered the highly demanding production processes for integrally colored fiber cement panels offered in such a wide color range.
Quality & Function
Swisspearl would not be Swisspearl if the company did not itself meet the highest standards of quality. But it is the excellent functionality that really makes every product the springboard for great ideas. Every product line, for façades, roof and interiors, is a modular and highly flexible system solution that is designed to protect façades and whole buildings for decades. The preservation and enhancement of value, structurally and visually, are the guiding principles that allow Swisspearl to enliven and promote architecture and « building culture
Sustainability & Ecology
95% of Swisspearl is made up of natural raw materials from the Swiss mountains: cement, pulverized limestone, water and air. This ensures an effective protection of material resources, avoiding unnecessary transport distances. In fact less energy is consumed during the manufacture of Swisspearl panels, as compared to many other building materials. Swisspearl can be easily removed. And with a lifetime of over 40 years, Swisspearl improves both the ecological and economical outcome of every building envelope. Or to put it another way: Only Swisspearl is quite like Swisspearl.
Tradition & Innovation
Then as now. Now as in future. The timeless nature of the material and great quality have become the hallmark of Swisspearl, something that future generations can rely on as well. When developing its products, Swisspearl draws on its own exciting history, and examples of pioneering architecture, as well as seminal advancements in technology. This is what also makes Swisspearl the sustainable material of tomorrow.
Building envelopes and living spaces.
We are here for you.
+41 55 617 11 60
Building envelopes and living spaces.
We are here for you.
+41 55 617 11 60
Swisspearl Architecture magazine.
Let yourself be inspired and subscribe to our magazine to be sure you will not miss any new issue.
The Swisspearl Architecture magazine appears once a year and features buildings representing a wide variety of typologies and scales, built in an expansive geographic range and several different categories.
subscribe
ABOUT US.
A Swiss company with a great deal of tradition
For many years now, Swisspearl has been developing innovative and sustainable products made of natural materials, in the spirit of invention and with expert skills, for use in the building envelope, the interior design and the garden - fully focused on aesthetics, quality and responsibility towards people and the environment.
Swisspearl products from the workshops in Niederurnen and Payerne in Switzerland have become an essential part of Swiss building culture, and have also quickly won over the rest of the (building) world. Swisspearl works around the world with more than sixty contractual partners in over fifty countries, thereby ensuring that it is always close to its customers. The guiding principle and driving spirit of Swisspearl are its own high quality requirements and the will to develop and produce forward-looking, functionally and aesthetically convincing designs in an ongoing partnership with architects, designers, craftspeople and building material suppliers. Swisspearl is the only manufacturer which has mastered the highly demanding production processes for integrally colored fiber cement panels offered in such a wide color range.
Quality & Function
Swisspearl would not be Swisspearl if the company did not itself meet the highest standards of quality. But it is the excellent functionality that really makes every product the springboard for great ideas. Every product line, for façades, roof and interiors, is a modular and highly flexible system solution that is designed to protect façades and whole buildings for decades. The preservation and enhancement of value, structurally and visually, are the guiding principles that allow Swisspearl to enliven and promote architecture and « building culture
Sustainability & Ecology
95% of Swisspearl is made up of natural raw materials from the Swiss mountains: cement, pulverized limestone, water and air. This ensures an effective protection of material resources, avoiding unnecessary transport distances. In fact less energy is consumed during the manufacture of Swisspearl panels, as compared to many other building materials. Swisspearl can be easily removed. And with a lifetime of over 40 years, Swisspearl improves both the ecological and economical outcome of every building envelope. Or to put it another way: Only Swisspearl is quite like Swisspearl.
Tradition & Innovation
Then as now. Now as in future. The timeless nature of the material and great quality have become the hallmark of Swisspearl, something that future generations can rely on as well. When developing its products, Swissp8earl draws on its own exciting history, and examples of pioneering architecture, as well as seminal advancements in technology. This is what also makes Swisspearl the sustainable material of tomorrow.
Production process.
The winning formula of Swisspearl fiber cement panels
Natural raw materials and consistent ingenuity are the basis of the winning formula for a product that is more than 100 years old but has never become outdated - architecture can no longer imagine a time without it. In hand, fiber cement reveals its homogeneous materiality and a high surface quality. To look at it, its unique character, natural texture and varied coloration in harmony with the material are what strike the eye.
Production of Swisspearl fiber cement panels
With expertise, precision and craftsmanship, these elements come together to create unique panels. Cement, wood pulp and reinforcing fibers are blended along with water to form a raw mixture. The product has been scrupulously monitored for quality through the processes of winding, pressing, cutting, drying and coloring.
The binding agent used in Swisspearl products is Swiss Portland cement. This ingredient, sintered from limestone and marl clay, is by proportion the most important base material. It is produced through firing of limestone together with marl. It is the binding of the lime with the silicic acid contained in the marl that gives the fiber cement its outstanding compressive strength. Additives such as powdered limestone improve certain characteristics of the cement and help produce a uniform product quality.
Synthetic and organic polyvinyl alcohol fibers are used as reinforcement. These fibers also find use in the textiles industry, in clothing, protective linings, non-woven fabrics as well as in medical suturing thread.
Processing fibers are made from cellulose wood fibers, similar to what is used in the paper industry. Sometimes recycled waste paper is also used. These wood-based fibers prevent separation of the cement-water mixture during the production process. A few of the fiber cement products contain polyethylene (PE) fibers as an additive. The cellulose pulp that is useful only during the manufacturing stage dissolves over time. The resulting hollow spaces are filled in with the crystalline hydration products of the cement that form. This produces the durable increase in strength in the final product.
The water that remains after the product has solidified ensures further reinforcement throughout the product’s lifetime. Only a negligible quantity of water remains in the hardened fiber cement, which helps in the hardening (hydration) process of the cement stone.
Air is present in the form of microscopic pores. These serve as space for expansion of water when it freezes and prevent distortions due to frost. Similar to modern textile fabrics, the micropore system produces a regulating, breathable and watertight building material. The processing fibers are supplied in the form of cardboard and added to a pulper, an enormous mixing device, together with water which dissolves the pulp into individual fibers; the mix is then further refined in a refining machine. Until they are used, they remain in huge wooden vats and are stirred constantly. In the meantime, the reinforcement fibers are delivered in bales that are then mechanically loosened and thoroughly mixed in with the cement and water. Finally, all ingredients are added to a large mixer and combined thoroughly. The mixture, with cement as the paste, is now ready for production of the wide range of fiber cement products.
In order to produce the large-format panels, the mixture is then conveyed to the plating machine; analogous to what happens in the manufacturing of paper, it is then wound in several layers on format rolls to reach the desired thickness. The next step moves the preformed panels to the stamping machine, where the exact size is punched out. The product then continues to the pressing machining, where both excess water is squeezed out and the desired thickness is achieved. In order to be able to use the panel, it first must be allowed to air dry for approximately 4 weeks. As a final step after the drying is complete, an appropriate coating is applied. From a liquid mix containing a number of different ingredients comes the durable, esthetically-pleasing and high quality Swisspearl fiber cement panels; thanks to the many advantages, these can continue to be admired for years to come on façades everywhere.
Nice to know
The Swisspearl brand consists of a merging of two words:
SWISS
We guarantee Swiss quality and reliability:
PEARL
Our cement panels are like pearls – a blend of many different materials layered together.
A SWISS PEARL FOR THE WORLD!
Swisspearl largo.
Freedom of design without limits
The Swisspearl Largo panels give façades what they need: a face, individuality, character, texture, color and, very importantly, a highly effective protective layer. Swisspearl Largo allows an immense range of possibilities for the design of façades, with an extensive selection of surface options, various types of joints and fastenings, and panel formats that can be freely selected within the maximum useable size. For visible creativity and to meet the highest aesthetic requirements, in proven Swisspearl quality.
colors
A wide range of more than 70 colors.
Installation
The whole range from flat layer to lapped coverings, with face or concealed fastening.
