New Customer Service Centre and Library Scoops Shows Excellence at Brick Awards

The first phase of an extensive regeneration of a listed Town Hall complex in East Ham, London, has won the Best Public Building category at the 2014 Brick Awards.

Situated amongst Edwardian Buildings that front the busy Barking Road, the London Borough of Newham decided to return its core team after years of relocations elsewhere within the borough.  The client’s brief was to create a building of civic presence but was also a natural fit within surrounding area.

Brick was the natural material choice for Rick Mather Architects as the Town Hall conservation area is home to some of the finest examples of Edwardian Grade II* brick and terracotta buildings in Newham. Michelmersh’s i-line bespoke blend and Farnham Red/Light Victorian Red bricks were selected to complement the surrounding re-pressed Victorian and London stock bricks.

Built by Brickwork Contractor Pyramid Builders Ltd, the external appearance of the Customer Service Centre and Library is solid and arranged in large brick planes framed by expanses of glass with some areas of terracotta dressing.  A long, thin modular brick has been used in vertical and horizontal courses and to create further visual interest, vertical brick ribbing was used in choice locations.  Reveals, soffits and setbacks were also faced in brick.  A lime based mortar with 10mm struck joints and minimalist weep holes rounding off the brick detailing.

The Customer Service Centre and Library is a well designed building which sits well in its immediate context joining together the Civic Campus and the Town Hall.  It provides a valuable resource for the neighbourhood and will help reinvigorate the town centre of East Ham.

The judges felt the quality and use of brick detailing is high and consistent throughout and its solid structure is beautifully put together and well executed. 

You can see pictures and find full details of all the winning projects on the BDA’s website: www.brick.org.uk/brick-awards.