Details
Location: The Brickworks Museum, Swanwick, Southampton
Brick Manufacturer: Ketley Brick Company Limited
Brick Name: Staffordshire red "Brixel" brick slips & Staffordshire red plain brick slips
Architect: Richard Dyer
Contractor: Ketley Brick Company Limited
About the project
Constructed to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, this unique representation of HM Queen Elizabeth II made entirely in brick relief is an innovative and lasting tribute. It demonstrates a new way of creating complex patterns, designs, images or logos in brickwork relief without the need for costly bespoke bricks and it is currently on display at The Brickworks Museum in Southampton.
The 3.5 x 3.5 metre royal silhouette is the first textured brickwork design of its kind and scale to be developed using pioneering ‘Brixel’ technology. The result is a unique work of detail and complexity, made up of 676 Ketley Staffordshire red machine- extruded engineering bricks, including 5 distinct pyramidal-shaped brixel elements.
The modern sharp-edged aesthetic and traditionally fired natural tones of Ketley’s Class A engineering bricks add warmth and precision to this intricate façade of subtly changing light and shadows, whilst ensuring the structure’s longevity.
To create such a detailed representation, Ketley Brick took a classic 2D photo of Queen Elizabeth II and divided the image into 2,028 65mm square pixels. The pixelated image was then rendered into brixels with each brixel made up of three 65mm pixels, and each pixel separated by an equivalent 10mm mortar joint. Each pixel was either a light or dark unit within the design and was represented accordingly by either a protruding pyramidal brick element or a flat brick element. There were 5 different types of brixel bricks each with either one, two or three pyramidal protrusions in combination with two, one or no flat sections. The 3D brixel visualisation tool produced a 3D representation of the brick sculpture with the bricks laid in 3rd bond and determined where each type of the five brixel types needed to be placed and how many of each type were required. It showed how the design would look at the chosen resolution and how it played with light from different directions.
The finished bricks were initially laid out on the ground as a ‘mock up’ before assembly on panels ready for easy installation at the Brickworks Museum.
The textured silhouette of HM Queen Elizabeth II is not only a unique and striking example of brickwork as art, but it is a ‘game changer’ in the creation of lenticular designs in brick relief.
The sculpture promotes brick work in a new way, demonstrating the extraordinary detail that can be achieved using machine- extruded “brixel” bricks. It opens up new commercial possibilities for architects, which could revolutionise how decorative brick relief patterns and facades are designed in the future.
Rob Flello, CEO, British Ceramics Federation comments:- “The UK ceramics industry is constantly evolving and embracing new products, technologies, and opportunities. Ketley’s new ‘Brixel Bricks’ represent a new and exciting landmark innovation with the potential to further advance the industry by enabling ever more creative and ambitious textured brickwork facades. The Queen's memorial sculpture demonstrates the impressive level of complexity and precise detailing that can now be achieved”.
Sponsored by Wienerberger Limited
wienerberger UK & Ireland is building for what’s next - empowering the construction industry to create a sustainable future. As a united group of specialist businesses, we deliver innovative, high-quality building products, systems, and solutions for the entire building envelope, including walls, roofs, heating, and water management.
Our extensive portfolio - including bricks, cladding, roof tiles, solar systems, ventilation, membranes, rainwater systems, plastic piping, plumbing, and underfloor heating - is enriched by expert technical services and unwavering customer support. We dedicate ourselves to building enduring partnerships, supporting exceptional careers, and placing sustainability at the heart of everything we do.
Driven by foresight, collaboration, and a passion for progress, we listen to our customers’ challenges and deliver solutions that stand the test of time, supporting them in creating safer, smarter, and more sustainable communities for generations to come.
As a leading brick manufacturer, we support specifiers in realising design intent through a portfolio that balances aesthetic freedom with long‑term performance. Our extensive range - spanning crafted wirecut, soft mud and premium architectural bricks - offers nuanced textures, tonal depth and precise dimensional consistency to suit both contemporary schemes and sensitive heritage contexts.
Backed by robust technical expertise and early‑stage design collaboration, we help specifiers navigate structural, regulatory and sustainability considerations with confidence. Underpinned by significant investment in decarbonisation and material innovation, our bricks enable architects to deliver buildings that are timeless, resilient and aligned with a lower‑carbon future.
As part of wienerberger - a global leader in solutions for the built environment - wienerberger UK & Ireland unites FloPlast, Pipelife, Maincor, Building Product Design, and Wienerberger Ltd under one banner.
