Bloc terracotta screen wall by Mutina with four holes per block

Bloc by Mutina: the anti-drywall

Mutina

Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec

Bloc Red Glossy
Bloc Red Glossy Available now
$ 1,040

What did you have in mind?

Bespoke: size, colour, finish

American interiors are ruled by drywall: fast, flat, and instantly forgettable. Bloc is its opposite in every measurable way — a hand-crafted, extruded terracotta block, 5×5×4 inches with four round voids, that stacks into a partition with mass, texture and daylight running through it. Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec designed it for Mutina in five colors — raw Natural, then Pearl, Grey, Red and Blue in glossy or matt — with Tube inserts to color the holes like pixels.

The engineering is on paper, not in adjectives: walls up to 4 metres (about 13 feet) with declared anchoring schemes, class C2 horizontal loads, timber profiles and a solvent-free EC 1 plus sealant instead of mud and tape. Since 2025 an outdoor version adds severe-exposure frost rating for patios. La Mercanti ships it to U.S. projects that want a lobby divider clients touch on purpose — not another painted plane.

Technical information based on data declared by the manufacturer.

Collection: Bloc (2021) and Bloc outdoor (2025)
Producer: Mutina
Design: Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec — artisanal production
Material: extruded terracotta, plain or glazed (category UNI 11128/2004)
Format: 13×13×10 cm / 5×5×4 in with 4 through holes — real size ±0.12 in (hand-made)
Colors and finishes: Natural (raw) — Pearl, Grey, Red, Blue in glossy glaze or matt paint; Tube inserts 2.5×10 cm (1×4 in) in Red and Blue, for interiors
Use: partition walls up to 4 m (≈13 ft) — anchoring on 2 sides max h157.5 in, 3 sides max h157.5×118.1 in, 2 sides max h98.4×39.4 in; subject to local building codes
Declared values (UNI EN 772): dimensions T2–R2 — water absorption 12.5% — soluble salts S2 — frost: F1 indoor version (interiors only), F2 severe exposure for Bloc outdoor — horizontal variable loads class C2
Installation: painted timber profiles, ceiling terminal with removable frame; Mutina organic solvent-free sealant, EC 1 plus for VOC emissions; ribs always on one side; official video on mutina.it
Sustainability: 10% recycled content (LEED 4.1); VOC, HPD, SDS on request
Packing: 59.17 pieces per m² — 6 lb per block

La Mercanti USA Llc — your partner for Italian design and contract supply.
Los Angeles, CA, USA · +1 855 335 8079 · info@lamercanti.us
Supply, quotes, specifications and project support across the United States and North America.

Documents and Catalogs

Bloc Catalogue Mutina Catalogue Bloc VOC Certifications Bloc LEED LEED® Credit Contribution Sheet

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FAQ

How is Bloc different from a glass block or CMU wall?
It is terracotta, hand-crafted and extruded, with four open voids per block — so unlike glass block it breathes, and unlike a concrete masonry unit it arrives glazed in five colors with a ±3 mm artisanal tolerance declared. It reads as furniture-grade material at architectural scale.
Can it really replace a partition in a commercial space?
Within its declared limits, yes: up to 4 metres tall — about 13 feet — anchored on two sides, 4×3 metres on three, with horizontal variable loads in class C2 and a data sheet that defers to local building codes. Your engineer gets numbers, not renderings.
What is the installation process like?
Dry and quick by masonry standards: painted timber profiles top and bottom — the ceiling terminal has a removable frame — and Mutina's organic solvent-free sealant, rated EC 1 plus for emissions. No mortar bed, no wet trade; the official video on mutina.it shows the whole sequence.
Do the Tube inserts stay put?
They push into the holes and hold, then pull out when you want a new pattern — red or blue, 1×4 inches, terracotta like the blocks. The graphic is reversible by design, which makes the wall tenant-proof. They are an indoor accessory; the outdoor sheet omits them.
Which documents support a LEED submission?
The collection declares 10 percent recycled content under LEED 4.1, and the sealant itself is classified EC 1 plus for VOC emissions; VOC, HPD and SDS files come on request through La Mercanti with the technical submittal.

How to give a lobby a wall people remember

For U.S. design teams: replacing one drywall plane with a Bloc screen — scope, engineering, color and install, in order.

Pick the one wall that earns it
Reception backdrops and lobby dividers repay texture; keep drywall for what nobody looks at and spend the character where clients stand.
Clear the numbers early
Send the anchoring schemes and class C2 load line to the engineer of record before schematic design locks a height.
Decide raw versus glazed
Natural terracotta warms a neutral lobby; glossy Blue or Red turns the screen into the brand moment — both share one module.
Keep the graphic reversible
Specify Tube inserts indoors for a pattern the next fit-out can change without touching the wall.
Schedule a dry install
Timber profiles, EC 1 plus sealant, ribs one way: no wet trade on the floor plate, and the video on mutina.it briefs the installer.

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