Sarrah Mae: Brick as Image - all images part3

TAFE MARCUS CLARK

Much of the Tafe Marcus Clark’s brickwork seems to be effected by weathering or simply chemical corrosion due to its inner city location. Its brickwork seems to be stained by dirt, rather than contain impurities, such stains make the building’s English bonding barely visible.

Concrete and stone slabs support much of the building’s structure, rectangular openings are topped with a concrete slab, and much support surrounds arched opening, so that little force is placed on the arches.




FOSTER STREET
CONVERTED WAREHOUSES, APARTMENTS

SURRY HILLS

Of all the building’s explored, none seem to have been so clearly ‘interfered ‘ by contemporary construction and architecture than the Foster street apartment topped by the Durbach Block penthouse.

The Raked jointing and Colonial bonding may be consistent throught the building, but the lightness of the newer brick closer to the vertical extension stands out from the discoloured and chemically eroded apartment warehouses.

The building’s lack of decorative elements, orthagonal shape, and rather large openings suggest that there is a supporting structure within the building. Steel lintels, and concrete slabs are evident on the building’s facade.





17 JONES ST
UNITS 1-6,
PYRMONT


This far more recent apartment block in Pyrmont is similar to the apartment warehouses in its lack of decorative elements.

Its simple and consistent use of Strecher bonding and raked jointing make the use of steel lintels and concrete slabs (structural features) obvious.

From a distance the brickwork appears smooth and of a single colour. It is only from closer position that the tiny impurities in the brickwork becomes clear.

Perhaps as a minimal decorative element, glazed clay brick is used in strips on the building, constrasting the rather dull appearance of the clay with its shiny and smooth appearance.