Brick Play

One of the most appealing architectural features in Paris is the creative use of polychrome brickwork on facades. The colourful patterns can be complex and eye-catching.

The geometric patterns of the brickwork provide an ideal medium for Art Deco style, as in this 1914 apartment building in the paquebot style:

Such brickwork is nothing new. It appears in various places in Europe during Medieval, Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance times. Modern polychrome brickwork made a strong comeback in the second half of the 19^th century.

The building below recalls 17^th-century Place des Vosges, with its masonry of red brick and contrasting white stone quoins.

However, the fancy brickwork beneath the windows places the building closer to late 19^th century.

Floral City, a quiet island of homes of two to three storeys, has made an art of using brick patterns to create visual interest along the facades.

Brick play from the 21^st century:

Next: Islands of Urban Tranquility — Cottages & Row Houses

Camille Martin