London calling for award-winning York Handmade Brick

The completion of the prestigious Lancer Square development in the heart of London marks a decade of York Handmade Brick’s involvement in reshaping the look of England’s capital city.

During the past 10 years York Handmade, one of the leading independent brickmakers in the UK, has provided the bricks for some of London’s most stunning new buildings.

Apart from Lancer Square, an iconic multi-million pound mixed-used development close to Kensington Place, the Easingwold-based manufacturer has supplied bespoke bricks for the iconic Shard, London Bridge Station, London Bridge Place, Highgate School, Carmelite House on the Victoria Embankment, the redeveloped Highbury Stadium and One Molyneux Street in Marylebone.

York Handmade founder and chairman David Armitage commented: “We are extremely proud to have played a key role in the reshaping of modern London over the past 10 years. It is wonderful to have a little bit of Yorkshire in the heart of the capital.

“The high-profile, award-winning commissions we have completed in London have led to new prestigious projects this year in Mayfair and elsewhere in the capital, which will further strengthen our position as the independent brick supplier of choice for London architects and developers”.

He added: “It is humbling to be part of a rich tradition in London, where brick continues to be in material that helps both residential and commercial buildings to bridge the divide between the traditional and the contemporary, as well as giving them a unique and individual look”.

York Handmade has just published a special brochure, Developing Modern London, to illustrate the part York Handmade has played in the development of the modern London cityscape.

Mr Armitage explained: “We felt that the completion of the acclaimed Lancer Square project, combined with a decade of work in London, warranted a celebration. Our new brochure looks back at what we have achieved, showcasing many of our best buildings.”

These include the exclusive Lancer Square development, a flagship 146,000 sq ft building, which is one of the largest residential, office and retail developments in the West End to be completed this year.

Mr Armitage commented: “This was an incredibly prestigious project for us and a great honour to provide so many bricks for such a landmark building in the heart of London”.

“It was crucial that the bricks we provided fitted in seamlessly with the magnificent Kensington Palace, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, which is just a few hundred yards away.”

Meanwhile York Handmade’s specially-manufactured bricks are a pivotal feature of the £92 million One Molyneux Street building in Marylebone in London’s West End, which was also completed this year.

This flagship five-storey building is the largest and most expensive traditional brick-built building to be constructed in the West End since the Edwardian era. It comprises 32 luxury one, two and three-bedroom apartments and duplexes.

The Shard needs no introduction. Although mainly glass, York Handmade provided the bricks at its base, together with the bricks for the adjacent and magnificently restored and enhanced London Bridge Station and London Bridge Place. The £2bn regeneration of the area immediately around London Bridge Station, which has created superb work and leisure space on the south bank of the Thames, is a graphic symbol of the thriving capital in the 21st century.

David Armitage added: “Our other London projects have included the residential development of Arsenal’s old football ground at Highbury; the new offices of the global publisher Hachette on the Victoria Embankment and the new junior school at Highgate School in north London.

“The successful completion of these very varied commissions have given us immense pleasure, as well as the confidence to believe we can play an important role in creating attractive new buildings in London. As we look back with pride on what has been achieved in the capital in the past decade, we are also looking forward to the next ten years, starting with our significant projects in Mayfair and elsewhere in London.”

· The brochure Developing Modern London is available from sales@yorkhandmade.co.uk

For further info, please contact Robert Beaumont of Robert Beaumont Associates at Robert@robertbeaumont.co.uk or on 01423 323139 or 07710 127713.