Wienerberger for lesson in brick inspiration

Leading brick manufacturer Wienerberger is hosting an inspirational lecture by architectural historian and lecturer at the University of Cambridge, Dr James Campbell.

The Wienerberger RIBA Lecture, being held Thursday on 14th May 2009 at the RIBA headquarters in London, will include stunning images from around the world of how brick has been used from its invention in 5000BC to the present day.

Dr Campbell will concentrate on exemplary brickwork aiming to inspire the audience to look again at the possibilities of this material that surrounds us everyday.

Dismissing the common misconception that brick is not a modern material, he will show how the greatest architects of the twentieth century all used brick and respected its qualities and how some of the most striking architecture of today is being made out of brick.

Commenting on the forthcoming RIBA lecture, Dr Campbell said: "For over 7000 years brick has dominated the built world.

Its extraordinary flexibility, technical qualities and incredible durability have been well understood throughout the ages.

"In the twenty-first century there has been a revival of interest in the material not only for its beauty but also in its possibilities for solving the problems we face in light of global warming".

The author of, 'Brick: A World History,' will show how brick not only meets the challenges of energy efficiency but provides a more convincing answer to sustainability than materials like timber that are often thought of as being the only sustainable building material.

He aims to make the audience look at the world of brick in a new light and see not only its rich history but its possibilities for the future.

'Lessons from the Past, Inspiration for the Future', is a lightning tour through the history of brickwork from ancient Mesopotamia to the present day.

Taking in the world's most stunning brick buildings from architects ancient and modern, it will show that brick has an enormous range of possibilities that are all to often unappreciated today.

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