48 Carey Street Faience Façade Nears Completion in Holborn, London
48 Carey Street is a residential new build in Holborn, London that is quickly approaching completion. Real estate developers at Lodha Group commissioned PLP Architecture to design contemporary living spaces in the heart of historic London. PLP undertook the challenge to design a slick, new building with features that would blend in seamlessly among the surrounding historical architecture. At a total height of ten stories, 48 Carey contains 202 individual apartments with 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units. The façade contains elements of aluminium, stone, and terra cotta to achieve a dynamic look, emphasizing the vertical plane with tall windows and the repetition of simple geometric motifs.
Boston Valley Terra Cotta provided the ceramic components of 48 Carey’s façade. Both extrusion and ram-press methods were used in the manufacturing of the terra cotta units. The surface treatment for the faience is subtle, but contain a multitude of complexity. The custom glaze for 48 Carey was formulated to embody the surrounding stonework with its subtle speckled texture in a soft monochrome.
After the terra cotta was fabricated, glazed, and fired, Boston Valley created dry-fit mockups for the building’s façade. Mockups were then inspected for alignment and consistency in the factory prior to shipping overseas. This is part of the Quality Control/Quality Assurance processes that Boston Valley undertakes, ensuring the highest quality product with minimal waste. Once approved, the pieces were shipped, ready for installation.
Near completion, these recent photos show the installed faience following the removal of the scaffolding.
The scaffolding has come down as the installation progresses, revealing the sophisticated architectural details designed by PLP Architecture.
The speckled glaze on the terra cotta components works with the other materials, giving a contemporary aesthetic amidst historical architecture in the area.
A close up shot of the façade installation, which is currently underway.
Click here to read our other blog posts about 48 Carey from our archives.
