The architecture of "Bedot de Bruvé" is distinguished by laconicism and sculptural forms, and the black color of clinker brick facades gives the buildings expressiveness, drama and natural naturalness.
The office complex built in the town of Etten-Leer in the south of the Netherlands was called the "Bureau of the Twins" by the authors. Indeed, the ensemble faced with black clinker consists of two almost identical four-storey buildings. However, each of them, despite the similarity, is designed for different functions: one building houses the office of two lawyers, and the other houses the laboratory of the Doctors' Foundation. Having a common central entrance, each part of the complex is planned in its own way and can be used separately.
The volumes of the buildings consist of two parallelepipeds shifted relative to each other, separated by a corridor, which is indicated on the facade by a bay window. In the plan, the two buildings form a right angle, which gives the volume a monumentality and representativeness, and in addition, allows for optimal insolation of the interior.
The entire structure acquires additional tension due to the fact that the roofs of both opposite parallelepipeds of each building are slightly inclined inward, and form an elastic line of open wings.
Another successful detail is the floor-high connecting wall, slightly protruding into the street, working as a hinge for the entire complex. Immediately in front of her, the gaze stops on a rectangular pond, which was continued through the inset at the bottom of the wall all the way to the courtyard that lies opposite. There he finds himself in a cozy garden where employees spend lunch breaks with employees of neighboring firms.
The new building, like a hinge connecting two directions, is located at the highest point of the connection of the old road from Etten Leer to Breda and the entrance to the expressway. “But once this road was supposed to turn into an alley with chestnuts,” says the head of the architectural bureau Jacques de Brove. “Someday trees will be able to subdue and balance the heavy forms of architecture and present them most effectively against the background of the landscape.”
For the cladding of all facades of the ensemble, a smooth and narrow ceramic clinker of thin format in black with shades was used. “We have used this brick before and have received very positive results. And this time he helped to give the building a noble and elegant look, - this is how Jacques Bruvet justifies the choice of facade material. “We were especially convinced of this by the high density of the brick, thanks to which the spectacular color with an anthracite hue retains its beauty for many decades.”
The same qualities are ensured by the laying laid by the spoon method. The recessed seams were trowelled smoothly, and in an economical way, in which the masonry and grout were done in one process. The choice of a color solution matching the clinker color (anthracite shade) and the rejection of butt joints emphasized the ceramic look of the masonry. The result proved to be excellent: the perfect interplay of high-quality and modern brick architecture with precision in detail.
The architectural bureau Bedo de Bruve Architectin was founded back in 1937. Over the long years of his work, a relative homogeneity and consistency of creativity has manifested itself, which is expressed in acute-angled buildings that neatly fit into the urban planning context, the tangible presence of which is emphasized by monochromatic clinker and careful detailing. It is curious that the composition of many buildings, as in the above example, includes several buildings of the same type, so the title given in the title will also suit them: "black clinker twins":
Collections of bricks with color schemes for the project: Onyx Zwart facing bricks.
Information provided by the company "Kirill"
