I have to do a presentation in a couple of weeks at a place where the slogan is “building communities one brick at a time”. The brick is the official logo of the initiative. (I didn’t choose it and don’t particularly like it, but… nobody asked me.)
Bricks are good for symbolism but they’re not one of the prettier building materials. Nevertheless for the graphics in my presentation I want to use as background pictures of really impressive brick buildings and structures. It doesn’t have to be a particular kind of brick- photos I’ve downloaded so far include glass bricks, ice bricks, Legos, blue glazed bricks, and of course red bricks. They won’t all make the cut.
Can anybody think of any brick structures, ancient or modern or anywhere in between, that you happen to think of as beautiful or impressive or striking or interesting?
I always thought the British Natural History Museum was amazing. I was struck by that building when I first saw it over 20 years ago and I still think it’s one of the most beautiful brick buildings I’ve ever seen. Another link to the website with a small slide show about the Waterhouse Building.
Check out the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Athens, Ohio, which was built by brick sculptor John Spofforth. You need to get into about the third set of thumbnails to see the really interesting brickwork.
The Torre di Mangiain Siena is simply one of the most beautiful structures I have ever seen. Indeed the whole of the Campo and its surrounding buildings are just sublime. I sat for the longest time looking at the tower thinking “Its made of bricks yet it seems so light it could almost be floating above me.”
They are all iconic, and all are symbols of civilization and community. An aqueduct is about feeding cities, a bridge connects communities, pyramids are about cooperation, Beacon Hill is about liberty and patriotism.
