York Handmade plays pivotal role in art gallery redevelopment

The award-winning York Handmade Brick Company has played an important role in the £8 million redevelopment of York City Art Gallery.

York Handmade, based at Alne, near Easingwold, supplied a selection of handmade and machine-made bricks to ensure the late-Victorian exterior of the art gallery was maintained.

York Art Gallery reopens on August 1 this year after an £8 million development which has increased exhibition space by 60 per cent and led to the establishment of the Centre of Ceramic Art (CoCA).

The development will create a suite of three galleries to show ambitious and high profile exhibitions, extra learning space and a new artists’ garden, which will link to the existing York Museum Gardens.

A newly-built first floor South Gallery and a new gallery in the original Victorian roof space will become CoCA, which will showcase work from the most extensive collection of British studio ceramics in the country.

Guy Armitage, director of York Handmade, commented: “It was a tremendous honour to be asked to provide bricks for such a prestigious project. The art gallery is one of the most iconic landmarks in York and this redevelopment will reinforce its position as one of the finest regional galleries in the country.

“We supplied bricks both for new South Gallery wall and the north-facing wall, by the new pathway leading from the Museum Gardens to Exhibition Square next to the Bar Walls. It was crucial we got the look right, otherwise the walls would have looked completely out of synch with the rest of the restored building.

“Overall the value of the job was £30,000, with more than 22,000 bricks used in total to match the Victorian originals. We worked closely with the architects Simpson and Brown of Edinburgh and the main building contractors Simpsons of York and are absolutely delighted by the result,” added Mr Armitage.

Phil Rhodes, site manager of Simpsons of York commented: “It was a pleasure to work with York Handmade. The standard of the bricks they supplied was first class and the end product looks excellent. It was a job very well done.”

Mike Woodward, chief operating officer of York Museums Trust (YMT), said: “Wherever possible York Museums Trust tries to use and support local businesses in any project or development we undertake. We were pleased to be able find the skill and expertise of York Handmade right on our doorstep.”

Janet Barnes, chief executive of YMT, said: “The £8 million development will allow the Art Gallery to showcase even more of our nationally important collections as well as giving us the space and conditions needed to attract much larger touring exhibitions which previously would not have been possible.

“The unveiling of the fantastic Victorian roof space was a central part of our plans and, together with the new first floor South Gallery, become home to CoCA. We have more than 5,000 examples of British Studio Ceramics, the largest in the country, and we want to establish the gallery as the place to come to learn, study and enjoy this genre of art.”

Courtesy of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce www.york.wnychamber.co.uk and York Handmade Brick Company www.yorkhandmade.co.uk