on standard production, with one
requiring the removal of a specific colour
and the other needing a crisper edge
than its standard. They were then fired
the traditional way in one of the UK’s last
coal-fired kilns in order to give a natural
variation and richness of tone.
The majority of the brickwork was in
Newport Light (181,000 bricks in total),
a hard pale semi-glazed machine-made
brick, which was laid predominantly in a
Flemish bond.
Tom McGuire, Managing Director of
Grangewood Brickwork Services said: “By
laying the bricks in a Flemish bond pattern
on a natural light lime mortar with no
expansion joints, we were able to make the
new façade seem as solid, thick and robust
in appearance as the old buildings”.
The lower courses were constructed with
a total of 17,000 Newport Dark bricks,
which were laid in a header bond on a
dark mortar at the front of the building to
reference the grey plinths of the original
workshops. At the back of the building
header bonds followed the external
curvature of the spiral staircase.
The precise quality of the finish and the
intricate brick detailing was an immense
work of craftsmanship from manufacture
through to the specialist brick laying skill
required, which was recognized by a BDA
Craftsmanship Award.
A total of 6,000 bespoke handmade and
standard machine-made special shapes
were created to match both blend types.
These ranged from intricate cappings
and copings on top of the saw-tooth
gable ends, through to transition bricks
and specials to the sills and heads of the
windows.
Dale Moss, Works Manager at Northcot
Brick said: “A unique mould had to be made
for each of the special shaped bricks. In
many cases only one special was required,
so these were fired as a one off with the
mould never to be used again.”
In addition to conventional masonry,
header brick clad lintels embellished
the windows, and a special lightweight
FastClad brick slip system used the
same bespoke blends to give continuity
of detailing to the soffits in the main
entrance.
According to Peter St John: “Brick is a very
versatile material and I think here we’ve
demonstrated that we can turn something
that was used for an industrial building
into something that is really delicate and
beautiful. Brick has that capacity because
of its intricate surface, and because of the
careful way in which it can be laid. I think
it’s a very beautiful material.”
An architectural masterpiece
The five linked brick buildings, which
are all different but obviously related,
have created a sheer and impressive
street elevation with a profound sense of
historical context.
What was once an unassuming street of
industrial buildings is now an architectural
masterpiece and a free public gallery
which will benefit the community for many
years to come.
Peter St John said: “It’s rare for architects
to be given the opportunity to realise
a personal vision of the quality of the
Newport Street Gallery, and for that vision
to have a generous public dimension. We
see the building as a palace for direct,
intimate and luxurious encounters with
contemporary art, and we are very pleased
that this award will bring more people to
see this extraordinary collection.”
For more information, contact Northcot
Brick Ltd., Station Road, Blockley, Nr.
Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire,
GL56 9LH. Tel: 01386 700551. Fax: 01386
700852. Email: sales@northcotbrick.
co.uk, Web: www.northcotbrick.co.uk