Bricks Decoded: Curved Brick Buildings.

Curves. And bricks. These are two concepts we don’t usually associate with each other, at least not straight away, right? Well, since this is Yellowtrace, and I personally love nothing more than challenging that which we’ve all come to expect, I thought it would only be fitting we tuck into some juicy examples of deliciously curved brick buildings that will have you feeling weak in the knees. In the best possible way, of course.

Our Brick Decoded content series, in partnership with Brickworks Building Products, sees us exploring the versatility, immense magic and the infinite possibilities of bricks. Today we delve into nineteen interesting projects spanning residential and commercial buildings, interiors, and art installations in which bricks and curves play a pivotal role.

Some of the projects utilise standard bricks that create smooth yet wonderfully tactile curves. Others have turned to brick trickery that involves special shapes used in conjunction with standard bricks. The latter approach allows the architects to create distinctive architectural features, like the extraordinary Dr Chau Chak Wing Building at Sydney’s UTS. In this project Bowral Bricks special shapes have played a pivotal role in designing and manufacturing special bricks for this project, also assisting in the development of bricklaying techniques that have transferred Frank Gehry’s vision from a sketch jotted on a restaurant table-mat to reality.

So many stunning projects, we better not waste any time and dive straight in.

Related: Miniature City Created From Bricks By Matteo Mezzadri.

Photography by Nicolas Mathéus.

Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakesh, Morocco by Studio KO // I mean, come on! This building has got to be one of the most exciting cultural openings in 2017, no? I’ve always known Studio KO is the bomb, and this building now places them on a whole new level. Cudos!

The lace-like curved brick facade is undoubtedly the hero of the Musée Yves Saint Laurent, inspired by the work of legendary French couturier who had a profound love affair with Moroccan city of Marrakesh (his famous two-and-half-acre Majorelle Garden is located just around the corner from the museum). Informed by Saint Laurent’s work and archives, Studio KO has incorporated terracotta brickwork, designed to recall the weft and warp of fabric. The duo were “struck by curves running alongside straight lines” and “the succession of delicate and bold forms”, resulting in a building façade that appears as “an intersection of cubes with a lace-like covering of bricks”. Extraordinary.

Photography by Wison Tungthunya.

Sala Ayutthaya Hotel in Thailand by Onion // Designed by architecture studio Onion, this boutique hotel in Thailand features arresting fluted red brick walls with tall proportions framing the passageway that lead the guests to their rooms. Not only do the scalloped walls of the narrow alley frame the curving views of the sky, they are also designed to create transient shadows. At approximately 11am each day, the shadows projected by both sides of the wall meet in the middle, eclipsing the corridor in darkness.

Photography by Fernando Guerra/ FG+SG.

Gondomar Sports Complex in Portugal by Alvaro Siza // Completed in 2008 by the legendary Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza, this Sports Arena Project in Gondomar is a large complex with two separate pavilions. Influenced by the work of Louis Kahn, and giving off more than a hint of Oscar Niemeyer’s sensibility, the two buildings are constructed from concrete and steel, with exterior façades clad in smooth red bricks.

Images courtesy of Nicolás Campodónico.

San Bernardo Chapel in Argentina by Nicolás Campodónico // Celebrating the local patron saint, San Bernardo Chapel rises in a small grove that was once occupied by a rural house and its yard. These were dismantled and the materials were reused for the construction of the chapel, primary the one-hundred-year-old bricks.

Through the careful selection and arrangement of materials, the architect creates two key effects: one in which the outside of the building gives testament to the passage of time, and the second one in which a warm atmosphere is produced by the light illuminating the new brick interior. References the historic coal ovens used for the firing of Argentinan bricks, the interior vault system allows the light to enter without any interruptions. At the same time, the light generates a contrast between the red bricks and the shadow created by the beams, forming a cross at a certain time of day. Alluding to the Via Cruces, the architect uses nature to complete the project’s symbolic element, transforming the architecture into something higher than a human act.

Photography by Luuk Kramer.

De Eekenhof in Amsterdam, The Netherlands by Claus en Kaan Architecten // Completed in 2008, this residential building by Claus en Kaan Architecten uses blonde bricks to great effect. Located on a heart of Roombeek, a residential district that rose from the ashes of the area destroyed by a fireworks disaster in the year 2000, the building commands a great sense of presence due to its highly sculptured form that responds to its urban context.

Photography by Nick Rochowski.

Fucina Restaurant in London by Andy Martin Architects // Andy Martin Architects wanted to mirror the values of the Fucina restaurant which uses “organic produce, sustainably sourced and prepared honestly using Italian artisanal techniques“. Their aim was to invent a spatial experience that mirrored the brief architecturally, using the interior to envoke a visual memory of Italian taste. The space is sculpted to stimulate – the forms are organic, the materials raw and refined, reflecting the food offer. The ceiling is handmade ‘antico mattoni’, formed and warped like the inside of a traditional pizza oven, setting a visually dynamic atmosphere.

Photography by Peter Bennetts.

Dr Chau Chak Wing Building in Sydney by Frank Gehry // Although the twelve-storey Dr Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology, Sydney presents as glass when looking towards the city, the overwhelming focus of public and media attention has been on the brickwork. The curvilinear design of the brick facade has been popularly dubbed a “crumpled paper bag” or even a “melting chocolate castle”. Describing the building’s external design is a challenge, even for Daniel Beekwilder, director of Sydney’s Daryl Jackson Robin Dyke which acted as executive architects for Gehry Partners. “I wouldn’t attempt to describe it in words,” he says simply, “I would describe it by using pictures. It’s a brick building, but it’s one like you have never seen before!” 

Gehry’s design required brickwork that curves in three dimensions, not only horizontally but also vertically. Bowral Bricks, a division of Brickworks Building Products, played a pivotal role in designing and manufacturing special bricks for this project and helping develop bricklaying techniques that have transferred Frank Gehry’s vision from a jotting on a restaurant table-mat to reality.

For more information about this project, and to see more images, visit brickworksbuildingproducts.com.au

Photography by Yong-Kwan Kim.

Pixel House in South Korea by Mass Studies & Slade Architecture // The Pixel House in Gyeonggido, South Korea, thoughtfully incorporated the needs of the client, a young family of four. There is a vagueness between public and private space, landscaping and building, which was the intention of both the client and the architects.

The tension between the contoured natural condition of the site and the orthogonal master plan is developed and expressed in the choice of materials. By using a simple orthogonal brick in an orthogonal order, and allowing the bricks to slide out of plane to create the curved wall, the tension between orthogonal and contoured form is revealed.

Photography by Dennis Gilbert.

Bishop Edward King Chapel by Niall McLaughlin Architects // Niall McLaughlin Architects have added the Bishop Edward King Chapel to the cluster of buildings at Ripon Theological College nestled in the countryside north of Oxford. Light falls on the faceted brickwork facade and animates the chapel without. Daylight penetrates the inner sanctum in bright stripes, filtered by the clerestory and made more complex by the inner timber latticework. I would love to see this building twinkling in the long dark of the English winter. Better book some plane tickets and brush up on the Christmas Carols.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Simone Bossi.

Sottobosco in Seoul, South Korea by Stocker Lee Architetti // This angular mixed-use building in South Korea uses dark-coloured bricks and a monolithic concrete base. ‘Nonhyun 101-1’ contains a variety of offices and apartment units in Seoul’s commercial Gangnam neighbourhood. The site was previously occupied by an existing construction, which was completely demolished to make way for the new build.

Photography by Kyung Roh.

MU:M Office Building in Munbal-dong, South Korea by Wise Architecture // Clad entirely in black brick, MU:M office building features a twisted rectangular shape, defined by an entrance that seems to ‘split’ as a distorted surface. In contrast to the ‘torn’ shape of the entrance, large rectangular windows instil a sense of order on the facade, whilst bringing light inside the building.

Photography by Peter Bennetts.

Applecross Residence in Perth, Australia by Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects // Melding ridge, river and garden with masterful brickwork, architects Iredale Pedersen Hook have reinvented the English manor house for the unique climatic and geographic conditions of Perth, Australia. The bricks mass is simultaneously heavy and light; one storey is hung from the upper level and the cranked columns on the east boundary. At a finer level, brick patterning slips and slides continuing the sense of movement.

Iredale Pedersen Hook’s 1300-square-metre Applecross House employs the Austral Bricks’ Elements Zinc Brick in a number of ways. “The site is surrounded by neo-Tuscan, federation, modernist houses, generally of a light colour. We desired to create a building that appeared as a large shadow in the context of the surrounding beige buildings,” explains architect Adrian Iredale.

Photography by Takuji Shimmura.

38 Social Housing in France by Avenier Cornejo // Located on an ‘elbow’ of its street, this residential building sits adjacent to numerous buildings in bricks of varied colours that have emerged over various periods. Adding to the ‘brick dialogue’ of the street, the northwest and southwest facades feature dark red ‘Lucca’ bricks that give the building its resolutely contemporary look, with a nod to the Art Deco period.

Photography by Sun Namgoong.

‘Yongin M Curved House’ by JOHO Architecture // Yongin M Curved House draws its formal diagram from the immediate mountainous context. Architect Jeong Hoon Lee envisioned the house as a link between the hosting ridge and the client’s personality, which led to the characteristic bi-axial curve. The facade uses a total of 15,000 black bricks, staggered into one flush row followed by another marked by uniform angled protrusions, which give the surface of the house a distinct look, reminiscent of fish scales. The texture reflects light from different angles throughout the day, effectively changing the appearance of the building’s exterior skin.

Photography by Peter Bennetts.

Perimeter House in Abbotsford, Australia by MAKE Architecture // MAKE Architecture have extended an old weatherboard Victorian cottage, located in the middle of a vibrant industrial neighbourhood in Abbotsford, transforming it into a contemporary family home loaded with plenty of surprises. The lower level extension features a white brick which links to the datum height established by the existing weatherboard structure. The top-level features black brickwork which was selected to fit in with the local industrial surrounds. This ribbon-like band adds an element of finesse to the home, featuring intricate forms and patterns that curve to suit the new condition of the site.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here

Photography by Wang Ning & Jin Weiqi.

Twisting Courtyard in Beijing, China by ARCHSTUDIO // Located in Paizihutong, Dashilar Area of Beijing, this twisting courtyard was once a ‘Siheyuan’ with a single entry. The upgrade by ARCHSTUDIO turns this traditional courtyard into an attractive public space in Beijing’s Inner City. Based on the existing layout of the courtyard, the undulated floor is used to connect indoor and outdoor spaces of different heights. The flooring, paved in dark grey brick, extends within the interior, twisting into walls and roof, creating a dynamic connection between inside and out.

Photography by Parham Taghioff.

Termeh Office Commercial Building by Farshad Mehdizadeh Architects + Ahmad Bathaei // Located in the historical city of Hamedan, Iran, this project encompasses three different levels with three distinct characteristics. A conventional brick rectilinear form is separated by a wave-shaped slab that is both the ceiling of the retail space below and the floor of the office above. This deliciously curvalicious brick mass then unfolds like carpet forming a staircase that connects the office directly with street level. Handrails, balustrades and kerbs… tactile strips, landings and nosings? Think again! Let me stop being a killjoy for one second so that we can enjoy the pure form.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Deed studio.

APARAT Headquarters in Iran by Qastic // Inspired by Le Corbusier’s Modular drawing of Human stature and proportion; the stair inside APARAT Headquarters (known as the YouTube of Iran) meticulously proposes a variety of ergonomic functions and usages like sitting, seating, standing, leaning and squatting. 5mm thick steel fame makes way for terracotta brick pavers that line the stair threads.

Photography by Kyung Roh.

Thumbs Up Building in Seoul, South Korea by B.U.S Architecture // This mixed-use building in Seoul features bands of windows set into its brick facades that decrease in size as they wrap around to the rear. The building’s brick facade curls down to create an uninterrupted surface. A window ledge set into the wall provides a casual perch next to a built-in brick bench surrounding the paved area.

This Yellowtrace Promotion is proudly created in partnership with Brickworks. All related thoughts and ideas reflect our genuine opinion. Like everything we do at Yellowtrace, our sponsored content is carefully curated to maintain utmost relevance to our readers.