i. Haouz lime

The lime used for tadelakt comes from the quarries of the Haouz plain, around Marrakech. It is quicklime, that is, slaked on the spot in open basins. Mixed with fine sand and mineral pigments (iron oxide for pinks, cobalt oxide for blues, soot for greys), it gives a dense, malleable mortar that sets over several hours.

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ii. The gesture that changes everything

What turns a simple plaster into tadelakt is the pebble polishing. During the hours following application, the artisan presses, smooths and compresses the surface with a granite or marble river pebble, until the surface becomes shiny like waxed skin. Then he brushes on diluted black olive soap, which reacts chemically with the lime to form a layer of calcium stearate — it is this reaction that makes tadelakt waterproof.

iii. Hammam and contemporary architecture

Historically, tadelakt covered the walls and vaults of hammams — where it had to resist permanent steam. The palaces and riads of Marrakech used it for salons and patios. For the past twenty years, tadelakt has been enjoying an international revival, used by interior architects the world over for its silky touch and its mineral materiality. In Marrakech, the urban-planning agency now requires tadelakt on certain renovations in the medina.