Hanseatic Brick Gothic architecture, dating from the formation of the Hanseatic League in cities around the Baltic Sea in medieval times, encompasses a variety of styles. In an area lacking natural stone, the art of firing clay blocks and using them for the construction of public buildings and religious structures, was developed. Over time the use of brick patterns and varying colors of bricks, along with statuary, emerged to decorate the brick building facades. The style was used through the first decades of the 20thC.
Brick Expressionist architecture was employed mostly in the 1920's in Northern Germany, the Ruhr area, & the Netherlands. The style is known for its decorative facades achieved through the setting of bricks in patterns; rough, angular or pointy elements; and the use of clinker bricks for variety of color. Horizontal brick courses that alternate between protruding and being slightly recessed are another common feature. The style also included numerous Expressionist sculptures mounted on the facade. |
