Belgian brick and pavers manufacturer, Vandersanden Group has supplied the facing bricks and pavers used to construct the recently opened Shakespearean Theatre in Gdansk: The first theatre in Poland since 1989 that is built as a green field project.
The building consists of three main spatial components: the walls surrounding the theatre complex, the main building with its dominant scene tower and unique retractable roof over the auditorium, and an administration area with hotel rooms for artists. A basement under the theatre complex also houses a car park, plant areas and museum facilities.
Vandersanden’s Morvan dark charcoal-grey facing bricks were chosen for the façade, to represent strength, durability and elegance. The textured brick envelope is intended to express values such as tradition and timelessness, while also contrasting with the masonry of the surrounding buildings. Furthermore, it provides a rich contrast with the smooth white surfaces of the theatre’s interior.
The outer walls are punctuated by beams in the brickwork. These are required structurally to absorb the load from the sunroof wings when open, as they reduce the weight of the walls. The high walls also hide the theatre's mechanisms and technical equipment.
Marco Solberg, Export Area Manager for the Vandersanden Group commented; ‘When the Italian architect, Renato Rizzi specified our product for this important architectural project, we were delighted to supply the bricks and pavers. We have four factories constantly manufacturing in Belgium and The Netherlands, so can fulfil orders quickly, which we know is an issue for many other manufacturers at the moment.’
The clay pavers laid around the building, which comprise the floor of the ‘labyrinth’, as well as those used on the roof, are also fired in Vandersanden’s brick mills, and therefore have the exact same colour as the facing bricks. Special Vandersanden ensure the bricks – despite the fact that they are laid in a “straight” joint – are still approximately three millimetres apart, helping them to remain in good condition for as long as possible.
For further information please visit www.vandersandengroup.co.uk. For specific information regarding the company’s sustainable products and environmental philosophy, please view the following video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJggVUoEtXw.