Designed for the Boral Brick Awards 2011-2012, ‘The Urban Cloak’ proposal by Jonathan Gibb is an addition to an existing inner city 2 storey brick building, to adapt and add a multi-levelled apartment building. A cloaked figure; standing amongst the debris of style, industry and waste: veiled by a multiplicity of individual bricks, reading as one. At once a sun and rain screen, and veiling against on-lookers sight. The existing building is left, but affected by the new. Its old roof is discarded and the paint of the facade shed, revealing the identity of the brick. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The material utilization and method of construction is used to provoke a psychological effect such that mental processes are provoked. Into this building a new urban Bar – The Merchant, a restaurant – The Lantern Bistro and 7 floors of apartments with roof deck and communal garden powered by photo-voltaic arrays. This is not another apartment building or gloried latest style. This is the glorification of material and ability of construction and craft; of the individual to the city – This is the Urban Cloak.
