The power of the glossy surface

Over a hundred years ago, glazed brick was used ornamentally in facades or in glossy interior walls. The Amsterdam stock exchange, Beurs van Berlage, is a shining example of a project in which different coloured glazed bricks define the space and add character. A half century later, Willem Dudok recommended glazed brick for the Zaanstad high-rise project, which we now know as the Elsevier building. His colleague Duintjer also worked at that time with glazed brick: in vertical strips on the headquarters of the Nederlandsche Bank.

The glazed brick takes a bright role more and more often in new developments, renovation and restoration: a brightness that does not fade rapidly. Ceramic materials last for hundreds if not thousands of years. That certainly applies to a glazed brick  

Glazed brick captures light, reflects light and creates a powerful surface. Textures, gloss levels, colours, metallics: the possibilities are endless. A brickwork wall with a rust texture or a facade that matches the metallic sheen of a new car?  At Wienerberger we take time for a requirement like this. We then work hard on creating samples, as they are indispensable in the quest for the right colours and effects. Read more about this process in the article: Craftsmanship & expertise.

When it comes to restoration projects such as the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam, where an existing effect and brick blend needed to be recreated, an intensive development process was necessary. Because the choice for glazed brick in colour, gloss level and an additional effect, involved taking several steps.  The shape of the bricks is also involved. Add to this the pointing and mortar: all the details need to be perfect to achieve the right effect.

The sample library that has been built up at the Panning factory is far reaching but certainly not complete yet. Every project adds new information and knowledge, which Wienerberger likes to use for its next, gleaming project.