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  • PROJECT

    287-291 Oxford Street

  • ARCHITECT

    Sterling Services

  • LOCATION

    287-291 Oxford Street, Mayfair, W1C 2DP

  • PRODUCT

    Terracotta Faïence

  • Completion Date

    2016

OXFORD STREET, MIXED USE RETAIL, OFFICE AND RESIDENTIAL.

It’s safe to say that any new building in central London attracts a high amount of interest – particularly when it’s in the heart of Oxford Street, recognised worldwide as a premier shopping destination. And this certain building, home to a retail and office development, is undoubtedly eye-catching, Modular Clay Products having provided its faïence bricks. A significant proportion of faïence bricks are manufactured in Italy, but Modular Clay Products’ experience in managing large-scale projects and overseas orders resulted in minimal stress for its client, Sterling Services.

Background

In conjunction with McLaren Construction, Sterling Services provided a £750,000 precast package for a new retail and office development in Hanover Square and Oxford Street – and Modular Clay Products was responsible for the highly decorative Italian faïence tiled elevation on Oxford Street. The tiles were inserted into precast panels, and quality assurance procedures were carried out to ensure uniformity and good condition. Casting these tiles into panels meant that installation could be undertaken in a fraction of the time it’d have taken to hand-set them on-site.

Challenge

With such a rich architectural heritage on Oxford Street and in the surrounding area, it was vital that the finish of the terracotta faïence complemented its environment – and we at Modular Clay Products felt a real responsibility to deliver to this end. The tiles encompass a motif inspired by the geometric design for the nearby Oxford Street and Regent Street junction, and the resulting façade has a suitably luxurious and elegant feel.

Project Images

The new balance store in london.
A building with large windows on the side of it.
A building with a large number of windows.
New balance london - london - london - london - london.
The new balance store is on the corner of a street.
The new balance store in london.
A building with a large number of windows.
A building with a large number of glass windows.
A group of people working in a factory.
A white tile with a cross design on it.
A person is holding a piece of terra cotta on a table.
A machine is being used to make a concrete block.

Solution

For the Oxford Street elevation, we manufactured bespoke units of terracotta faïence for use within a precast construction. This was moulded to a bespoke pattern, used for both the façade and the sloped roof. The pattern can be seen repeated in the façade’s bronze modesty screens, or projecting windows with a reflective coating.

Benefits

All façade panels were manufactured off-site, as the tiles needed to be integrated within a precast solution. This guaranteed the quality of the workmanship and resulted in a fast-track solution that proved particularly effective in achieving the architect’s vision of an exterior with complex detail.

“Organising containers of bricks to be shipped from overseas to our client’s site on time, on budget and to specification is a real challenge, but one that we always enjoy perfecting.”

Evan Salmon, Sale Manager, Modular Clay Products