It’s exciting to see the use of custom made ceramics in commercial and heritage design.
During the Dulux DIALoge Tour of 2016 I was able to visit the renowned London firm of Eric Parry Architects and see some of their fascinating projects.
This architectural practice consists currently of around ninety architects.
We were shown the studio by Director Robert Kennett who described the practice as doing work that was ‘in particular and not as a factory’.
He explained that because of this office philosophy they often found themselves being asked to do projects that were difficult.
The encouragement of the hand crafted and one off designs within the office was quite incredible. Their use of custom designed ceramic elements of building fabric was a consistent thread.
Here are a couple of the Eric Parry projects I found particularly interesting.
St Martin In the Fields, Trafalgar Square
This is an Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in London. There has been a church on the site since the medieval times. The renewal project was extremely complicated in such a very sensitive location. There needed to be respect for the backdrop of heritage, community, faith, and accessibility. The extremely understated external entry point and light well to the crypt goes almost un-noticed. The entry is a glass ‘drum’ capped with a bronze roof. The project provided access to the crypt.
8 James Square
This 2016 RIBA National award winning building respects the surrounding buildings and public square with a respectful ‘playfulness’. Every elevation is different to respect the existing buildings. What I especially liked about this project was how the architect worked with sculptors in the production of a memorial epigraph constructed from Indian stone to Sir Edwin Lutyens as the place where he designed his plans for New Delhi.
Holburne Museum, Bath
The Holburne Museum is located in Bath, Somerset, England. This was the city’s first public art gallery. It is heritage listed and is home to fine and decorative arts built around the collection of Sir William Holburne. I found this interesting because of the use of ceramics in this project.
One Eagle Place, Piccadilly
This was a project to renew an urban block at the very heart of historic Piccadilly. The block includes a new building and façade in ceramic. Renowned sculptor Richard Deacon was invited to undertake the commission to create a frieze.
30 Finbury Square
This was a project to develop an office building on a public square. It is a conservation area and older buildings were involved. The elevations are a unique system developed for the project with load-bearing limestone piers supporting a precast perimeter beam and the internal steel beams. The depth of the façade provides additional solar shading which asserts the energy conservation strategy.
Eric Parry Architects are impressive and inspiring in how they approach their work. Their Director Robert Kennett was generous with his time and the quality of information he shared with us. You’ve got to respect people, working for a renowned studio like this, taking time to educate and nurture the professional practice of others. We all felt grateful and appreciated the experience.
Credits: Images are from the office of Eric Parry Architects and have been used here to tell the story of our experience in their office.
