Union Tiles is proud to be associated with the Ellipse Waterfall residential buildings, in the Waterfall precinct of Johannesburg.  

The company manufactured and engineered exterior designer tiles, in various shapes, for the external tiled feature area, as part of the award-winning architect, Lorenzo Nassimbeni’s, unique elliptical design. 

Design brief 

The Union Tiles manufacturing team was in consultation with Nassimbeni for several months, working on the design of the external tiled feature. Nassimbeni requested that Union Tiles make certain unique leaf-shaped tiles, circles and semi-circles, to complement the theme and design of the Ellipse building. The product needed to be durable and should have a complementary aesthetic appeal, to match the curved and modern design. 

Reeded and raised-edge terrazzo tiles, with matching colours and logo details, were specified for the staircase.

Bespoke solution 

A red terrazzo tile, with added non-slip features, was custom-made by Union Tiles to match Nassimbeni’s specifications. These, in combination with a textured grey terrazzo tile, were produced in elliptical shapes, with computer-automated computer numerical control (CNC) water-jet cutting, to achieve the unique design and floor layout that was required. 

Reeded and raised-edge terrazzo steps in the same grey and red were specified for the staircase. On certain steps, the project’s ellipse logo was water-jet cut on both the steps and riser tiles to suit the design details. 

Tile specialists 

A tiled exterior feature area was created for the Ellipse Waterfall development with bespoke terrazzo tiles from Union Tiles.

The Union Tiles terrazzo tile division has a proud 102 years’ experience in the manufacture of terrazzo tiles and related terrazzo flooring finishes. The company also prides itself on the wide range of ceramic, porcelain, natural stone tiles and slabs on offer, as well as a unique range of sanitaryware. 

Union Tiles welcomes architects and designers who are sourcing fit-for-purpose, unique wall, floor and wall cladding finishes to bring their designs to life. The company has branches in most major cities in South Africa and Namibia. 

Parties involved in the construction of the Ellipse Waterfall project included: 

Main contractor: Barrow Construction. 

Developers: Tricolt. 

Project manager: Jean Paul van Huffel. 

Architects: Dkh Architects, Lorenzo Nassimbeni.  

Landscape architects: Green in. 

Tiling contractors: Bernd Ehlers Tiling. 

Tile manufacturer and supplier: Union Tiles (bespoke terrazzo tiles). 

Photographer: Paris Brummer. 

For more information, contact Union Tiles: 

Tel: +27 11 663 2000  

Email: info@uniontiles.co.za 

Website: www.uniontiles.co.za