Vision - Wienerberger

Vision
The creativity of brick
Issue 2
colophon
Vision is a publication of:
Wienerberger Ltd
Editors
Sarah Jackson
Aparna Gondekar
Heather Butler - Bell Pottinger North
Caroline Kruit - CCK Media, Den Haag
Photography
Ruud Peijnenburg, ‘s Hertogenbosch
Design
SpringDesign, ‘s-Hertogenbosch
Editor’s Vision
Content
Vitens office building, Arnhem
Sculptural weaving
4
Symphony double tower, Amsterdam
Unity through diversity
8
City Theatre, Haarlem
Bricks in the spotlight
12
Het Podium housing project, The Hague
Fun wall art
16
3
VITENS OFFICE BUILDING, ARNHEM
Sculptural weaving
The Vitens office building is a landmark for the
thereby creating a ‘chess board’ pattern. ‘In a subsequent
IJsseloord industrial estate in Arnhem. This is
design phase we searched for a way to make the colour
why the architects at GroupA chose a very robust
difference more subtle, for example by using different
appearance, which is accentuated by the dark, brick-
textures. We fleshed out this idea, eventually choosing
work wall. The combination of bricks in the brick-
engobed, shiny black stock bricks and far more matt
work plays a fascinating game with the daylight and
handformatic bricks,’ he added.
is the result of an intensive design process.
Glisten
Despite the fact that the master plan for the IJsseloord
Proving that one black brick can differ enormously from
industrial estate was stringent in its specification of yellow
another is demonstrated nicely by the brick duo used in
bricks for wall brickwork, the architects opted for two black
this project. The bricks with engobe play with the light in
variants. Joep Fessl of GroupA said: ‘The Vitens office buil-
such a way that their surfaces appear almost white when
ding was designated as a landmark and we were therefore
reflecting at a certain angle. The matt bricks seem to
permitted to deviate from the restrictions. We used this fact
absorb the light, which makes them a stable colour factor.
to create a robust sculpture of the building, a heavy object
It is precisely the variation in the bricks that makes a stroll
with a stone wall and felt this effect can best be accentua-
around the building a true spectacle.
ted with dark bricks.’
Fessl added: ‘We produced test pieces on site in order
to test the bricks and the joints in the correct light. The
Pattern
search for the correct joints became very complex– at one
Nevertheless, the architects did not immediately decide to
point we were discussing the subtle variations in shade.
use black bricks. Fessl said: ‘To give the building abstract-
A joint that is too close in colour to the brick means that
ness, so that the form is expressed more clearly, we intro-
you see an evenly coloured area and no longer notice the
duced a wave. Areas of 180 by 540 mm filled with different
nuancing in the brickwork. An excessively light joint has a
bricks.’ In the first instance the architects had chosen a
negative effect on the pattern. The choice was made for
contrast between black bricks and a much lighter variant,
a joint that is a little lighter than the bricks.’ The eventual
5
result still looks woven, despite the combination of two
black bricks. Fessl: ‘It is precisely the interplay of the light
with the wall pattern that makes this building special.’
Architectural office:
Group A, Rotterdam
Architect:
Adam Visser & Joep Fessl
Facing bricks:
Wienerberger Beerse - Agora Graphit Black, handformatic
Wienerberger Oosterhout - Fusion, extruded
Details:
- Interwoven surfaces
- Brickwork fitted as clamps
BRICK & TECHNOLOGY Paterns in surfaces
The brickwork of the Vitens project in Arnhem consists
of two interwoven surfaces. The weave incorporates two
types of brick, a random stock form and neat pressed
brick. In this type of brickwork and brick combination it is
important to devote extra attention to the work size.
Parts of the brickwork are fitted as clamps. This reveals
the frog of the handformatic bricks. The following point is
important here – 16 courses of the brick on edge panelling
in the wall are detailed to correspond with 30 standard
courses of horizontal brickwork. This requirement has
consequences for the dimensions of the bricks.
An average joint of 10 mm and a brick thickness of 50 mm
creates a height over 30 courses 1800 mm. Any variation
Attention was given to the effective slenderness of brick-
in individual brick dimensions can be accommodated in
work in the exposed frog orientation; the unit at 65mm
the mortar joint although a thickness of less than 8 mm
(thickness) met the particular construction requirements
was considered as inappropriate.
for the panel design.
7
Symphony double tower, Amsterdam
Unity through diversity
The architects firm Cie. designed the Symphony
they present two different densities when seen from the
double tower with a remarkable wall for the intersec-
Mahlerlaan. The plinth of the building is visible particularly
tion of the main streets in the Amsterdam business
when the observer is standing close to the block.
district, the Zuid-As. The double tower was inspired
The wall section also expresses a clear segmentation.
by the ring of canals in Amsterdam and contains
Inspired by the inner city canal houses, the wall was
elements which differ in scale and are combined into
clad with bricks and large windows. Architect Oresti
a single unit.
Sarafopoulos said: ‘The bricks in the brickwork at plinth
level are the darkest. They have warm, earthy colours.
The 200,000 m Symphony double tower is located at the
The wall also has a strong relief pattern in that section, so
intersection of two spatial axes – the Mahlerlaan, which is
that a tactile skin is created that initiates a dialogue with
at a right angle to the Minervallaan. Similar to other mixed
passers-by. Further up, the skin becomes more abstract,
use developments in Amsterdam, where a multitude of
with caramel coloured bricks halfway up the towers. At
functions are often housed in a single block, Symphony
that level the bricks have a larger size and the surface relief
accommodates offices, houses, an art centre, shops and
is less articulated. The bricks at the top of the towers are
a car park. The public functions are housed in the plinth of
almost white and even shine, creating the impression that
the building while the offices and houses are located in two
the building dissolves into the air.’
3
towers, both almost 100 metres high.
Combined into a single unit
Colour and interaction
The differences in colour are forged together by an overall
The design produced by Cie. interacts with its surroun-
wall pattern. Minor nuances are possible within this texture.
dings in different ways depending on where it is viewed
For example, the window pattern of the office tower is simi-
from. Seen from the Minervalaan, both towers have the
lar to that on the residential towers. However, the windows
same profile. The residential tower is placed at a right angle
in the offices have a mesh width of 900 mm, while the
and has a long side that is equal to the short side of the
mesh width in the houses is 1800 mm.
office tower. This is why the towers look like a single object
Building at great height did involve a challenge. The wind
when viewed from the long axes of the Minervalaan, while
load in particular meant that there were more stringent
12
9
demands for the wall elements. However, with prefab
Architectural office:
Free2Build panels it was also possible to build brick walls
de Architekten Cie., Amsterdam
at great height. The storey-high wall panels were lifted in
ready-made, including glazing, on site and are indistinguis-
Architect:
hable from the traditionally built wall sections. This means
Pi de Bruijn, Oresti Sarafopoulos
that the skin of the building is seen as a constant interplay
of lines, colours, texture and shape, similar to how the
Facing bricks:
parts of a good piece of music form a powerful symphony
Wienerberger - various colours, extruded
when combined.
Details:
Free2Build - Prefabricated façade
BRICK & TECHNOLOGY
Prefab brickwork elements
The walls of the Symphony project in Amsterdam are
A unique suspension system offers the possibility to use
constructed with Free2Build wall elements – prefa-
complete bricks as an exterior finish. Almost all types of
bricated façades with a traditional structure of an
brick are applicable, including shaped bricks following
exterior brick façade, an air cavity and an interior
consultation, and a combination of different brick types is
concrete façade. They combine the advantages of
also possible.
prefab construction, alongside bricks in wall building.
Here, it is important to devote attention to the size and
distribution of the bricks. The size of the joint may not dif-
Free2Build is extremely suitable for building and has all the
fer excessively. This is why it is important to consult with
advantages of prefab. There are improved working conditi-
Wienerberger regarding the application of different types
ons, greater building speeds and custom-made deliveries.
of brick in the Free2Build concept at an early stage in the
The use of a façade in Free2Build panels also offers clear
design process.
advantages. It prevents cold bridges and moisture penetration caused by the ventilating exterior facade.
11
City Theatre, Haarlem
Bricks in the spotlight
The 90–year-old city theatre in Haarlem is preparing for
Decorative strips
a second life, after an extensive renovation that took
The theatre in Haarlem is a building that – after the recent
more than two years. A detailed plan, with large-scale
revamp – can no longer be called modest. Radical chan-
changes and considerable expansion, was created by
ges were required to modernise the theatre. For example,
Erick at Egeraat associated architects and features a
the main entrance of the building was moved to the base-
special brick wall which was created for the new stage
ment and the furnishings in the interior were also thorou-
tower in collaboration with artist Babs Haenen.
ghly updated. The goal was to give the entire building more
consistency and grandeur.
The city theatre in Haarlem is one of the five oldest theatres
A new stage tower, which was considerably larger than the
in the Netherlands and is recognisable as such – a robust
old one, was built to conceal the difference in volume, was
brick-built structure with modest wall ornamentation. The
clad with decorative ceramic elements that were speci-
original building by architect J.A.G. van der Steur has been
ally developed by artist Babs Haenen in collaboration with
a characteristic feature of the old city centre since the start
EEA. The tiling for the wall was placed in vertical strips of
of the last century and is a striking example of the brick
different lengths that run up to the top edge of the wall to
architecture from that time.
create a cascade effect. Several of these strips are fitted
However, at the start of this century it became apparent
with screen-printed glazing. The ceramics have blue-green
that it could not function in accordance with the current
and turquoise tints and become gradually lighter in colour
standards of theatre technology, production facilities and
as they near the top edge of the wall. This seems to make
accessibility. Moreover, different conversions had confused
the significant volume of the stage tower evaporate into
the spatial structure. This is why a multiple tender was crea-
the air.
ted for the renovation of the theatre. The tender was won by
Erick van Egeraat associated architects (EEA) in Rotterdam.
Petrified patchwork quilt
After two years of renovation, the result is at the heart of
Various tiles are used in the project – flat tiles, rosettes and
the body of work created by Erick van Egeraat: ‘modern
tiles with a relief pattern that look like glazed, hardened
baroque’, as he calls it.
pieces of cloth. They create a shadowplay that makes the
13
wall speak, it literally asks to be touched. Each tile is unique,
Architectural office:
having been crafted by hand by the artist Babs Haenen,
(EEA) Erick van Egeraat associated architects, Rotterdam
who also applied the pigment and the glaze to the clay by
hand. She treats ceramics as a form of sculpture and devo-
Architect:
tes a great deal of attention to colour texture, shape and
Erick van Egeraat
tactile qualities. This ensures that the ceramics have a touchable and traditional look, rather than an industrial image.
Ceramist:
The wall tiles produced by Haenen reflect the ceramic tiles
Babs Haenen
produced by Leon Senf in the old section of the theatre,
thereby creating a link with the existing building and the
Facing bricks:
latest extension. Elements of the old stage tower, such
Wienerberger Bemmel -
as windows, hard stone decorative elements and glazed
Mix: Rood hardgrauw, formbacked
bricks were used in the wall of the old tower in order to
Rood gevelgrauw, formbacked
enhance this link. All this makes the city theatre an even
more recognisable building for Haarlem. A robust building
Details:
with a wall of decorative ceramics – the brickwork now
- Sloping masonry
forms a modest decor for the new leading actors.
- Special shaped bricks
BRICK & TECHNOLOGY
BRICKWORK THAT LEANS BACKWARDS
The stage tower of the city theatre in Haarlem was
The design for the brickwork of the new stage tower in
constructed with brickwork that leans backwards,
Haarlem also incorporates irregular angles. Special shaped
which faced an increased risk of water penetration.
bricks were produced for these angles in order to gua-
Extra attention for the brickwork detailing was the-
rantee the characteristic surface structure of the bricks at
refore required.
these specific angles.
For this type of sloping brickwork, a brick must first be
used that does not absorb (excessive) rainwater - preferably a moderately absorbent masonry brick which can cope
with initial water absorption. The increased water penetration also prompted attention to the strength of the joints
in the brickwork. A minimum joint hardness of VH 35 with
a smooth surface structure was the best choice for this.
15
Het Podium housing project, The Hague
Fun wall art
The Kristal development company is constructing
Perky contrast
the new Het Podium housing project on the Melis
The walls create a lively, frivolous contrast to the mono-
Stokelaan, to the south west of the Zuiderpark area
tone image of post-war architecture in The Hague South
of open space in The Hague. A medium-sized project
West, but they did require a great deal of thought in terms
in which new houses of various types and sizes are
of detailing. The challenge was in the processing of the dif-
under construction, has seen the brickwork assigned
ferent colours of brick: red, white, black and grey. In order
a special role
to be true to the design by Henri Jacobs as much as possible, the position and colour of each brick was decided
A total of 211 homes are accommodated in a separate block
in advance. The structure of the walls was then planned
and three U-shaped blocks. All three of the latter blocks
brick by brick.
have a raised communal walled garden. There is a large
After the preparation of different patterns, test set-ups
range of house types and building shapes. For example,
were constructed at the building site in order to choose
there are high-rise and low-rise residential blocks in which
the correct brick types. SeARCH then chose a grey, red,
the high-rise sections are designed as galleries, with tene-
white and black brick in consultation with Wienerberger.
ment flats on the edge of the plot, and low-rise, single family
The differences in standard size in these four brick types
terraced houses in the more closed parts of the plot. The
were compensated for by proportionately varying the
plinth of the building has space for shops and businesses.
width of the joints between the bricks and selecting two
The plot is intersected by the Zwaardvegersgaarde, a
dark colours of mortar. The joints were also deepened
street that is also known as ‘the tree lane’. This is where the
with an extended joint that gave the brickwork an extra
artist Henri Jacobs was inspired to create the exceptional
dimension.
brickwork facings at the gable ends of the long blocks,
which he designed for the project on the invitation of the
Integration of art into the urban environment
SeARCH firm of architects. He devised patterns for the
It is not only the brickwork which is special in this housing
brick walls that are based on the planting plans of the apple
project. The balustrade fences that border the galleries
tree orchards that were once located in this area. The pat-
of the complex are also striking. They were designed by
terns were converted by SeARCH into completely detailed
Dutch Design House De Makers Van and produced by
masonry plans and detailed drawings.
craftsmen in India.
17
With eye-catching elements, this project takes the lead
in the integration of art into the urban environment. They
make Het Podium a housing project that idiosyncratically
sets the tone for the restructuring of Den Haag Zuidwest.
Architectural office:
SeARCH, Amsterdam
Artist:
Henri Jacobs
Facing bricks:
Wienerberger - White, Grey, Red and Black, handformatic
BRICK & TECHNOLOGY
Patterns in brickwork
Brickwork patterns such as those in Het Podium
to support the architect and artist. These set-ups were
require harmonization between manufacturers and
used to make a first selection of the handformatic bricks.
designers, particularly if the pattern includes dif-
This also clarified whether the size differences between the
ferent types of brick. Brickwork patterns are based
chosen bricks would influence the brickwork pattern.
on aesthetic preferences. But facing bricks that form
part of a brickwork pattern must match in terms of
The test walls prompted occasional adjustments to the
size and size distribution. That is a technical requi-
brickwork patterns. Test walls with normal dimensions
rement.
were built with the chosen bricks again at the building site.
The choice of bricks was then defined with four different
In order to harmonise all preconditions optimally, attention
handformatic bricks from two Wienerberger brick facto-
was devoted to the different types of brick that could be
ries. The thorough pre-preparation resulted in a unique
used to create the pattern in the Het Podium project at an
and extremely carefully constructed brickwork pattern with
early stage. Test walls of 2.1 x 2.3 metre were produced
technical durability.
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