Beyond 2025: trends that will revolutionize ventilated stoneware facades in 2026

As we leave the past year behind, the world of architecture is already looking ahead to 2026. If 2025 was the year of environmental awareness, 2026 will be the year of invisible technology and deep sensory design.

Here's what we can expect for exterior cladding and ventilated facades over the next 24 months.

1. The return of White: “Cloud Dancer”

If you thought white was boring, get ready to change your mind. The leading color for 2026 is Cloud Dancer: a classic, ethereal, and pure white that never gets old. In stoneware facades, this translates into buildings that reflect light in a zenithal way, while ensuring lower heat absorption and timeless aesthetics.

2. “Soft Brutalism”: Matter and Harmony

One of the strongest trends is what is known as Soft Brutalism. It draws inspiration from the massive forms of exposed concrete, but softens them with warm, human textures. In 2026, concrete-effect stoneware will not only be gray, but will also feature “greige” shades and tactile finishes that invite you to touch the surface, making large buildings more welcoming.

3. The Facade as “Active Skin”

In 2026, cladding will no longer be passive. We will see the mass distribution of stoneware slabs with advanced photocatalytic properties: surfaces that, thanks to sunlight, “eat” smog and clean themselves. Ventilated facades will thus become green lungs for cities, essential for new construction sites in dense urban contexts.

4. Extreme Modularity: Beyond the Large Slab

While large slabs remain a staple, 2026 sees the return of creative modularity. Strip geometries, staggered layouts, and 3D inserts break up the continuity of the surface to create unique plays of light and shadow. Architecture returns to speaking a language of detail and technological craftsmanship.

5. Certified (and real) sustainability

It will no longer be enough to say “it's recyclable.” In 2026, the trend will be total transparency. Designers will seek materials with increasingly stringent EPD certifications and “zero water waste” production cycles. Porcelain stoneware remains the king of the market precisely because of its ability to last fifty years without degrading.

Conclusion The future of construction is moving fast. Whether it's a residential project or a commercial complex, integrating these trends into the design phase today means ensuring value for the property tomorrow.