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59-597: Oslo City Hall is built of red brick and has two towers, one 63 meters tall and other 66 meters tall. The bricks used are larger than what was typical at the time of construction, but are roughly the same size as bricks used in the Middle Ages. The bricks, measuring approximately 27.5 × 13 × 8.5 cm, were produced by Hovin Teglverk in Oslo. The eastern tower has a carillon set of 49 bells. Various events and ceremonies take place in

118-449: A brick roughly 42 cm long, 20 cm wide, and 10 cm thick), smoothing the surfaces with a wire-strung bow, removing them from the frames, printing the fronts and backs with stamps that indicated where the bricks came from and who made them, loading the kilns with fuel (likelier wood than coal), stacking the bricks in the kiln, removing them to cool while the kilns were still hot, and bundling them into pallets for transportation. It

177-972: A dry, small aggregate concrete which is formed in steel moulds by vibration and compaction in either an "egglayer" or static machine. The finished blocks are cured, rather than fired, using low-pressure steam. Concrete bricks and blocks are manufactured in a wide range of shapes, sizes and face treatments – a number of which simulate the appearance of clay bricks. Concrete bricks are available in many colours and as an engineering brick made with sulfate-resisting Portland cement or equivalent. When made with adequate amount of cement they are suitable for harsh environments such as wet conditions and retaining walls. They are made to standards BS 6073, EN 771-3 or ASTM C55. Concrete bricks contract or shrink so they need movement joints every 5 to 6 metres, but are similar to other bricks of similar density in thermal and sound resistance and fire resistance. Compressed earth blocks are made mostly from slightly moistened local soils compressed with

236-443: A history older than fired bricks, and have an additional ingredient of a mechanical binder such as straw. Bricks are laid in courses and numerous patterns known as bonds , collectively known as brickwork , and may be laid in various kinds of mortar to hold the bricks together to make a durable structure. The earliest bricks were dried mudbricks , meaning that they were formed from clay-bearing earth or mud and dried (usually in

295-457: A kiln which makes them durable. Modern, fired, clay bricks are formed in one of three processes – soft mud, dry press, or extruded. Depending on the country, either the extruded or soft mud method is the most common, since they are the most economical. Clay and shale are the raw ingredients in the recipe for a fired brick. They are the product of thousands of years of decomposition and erosion of rocks, such as pegmatite and granite , leading to

354-424: A material that has properties of being highly chemically stable and inert. Within the clays and shales are the materials of aluminosilicate (pure clay ), free silica ( quartz ), and decomposed rock. One proposed optimal mix is: Three main methods are used for shaping the raw materials into bricks to be fired: In many modern brickworks , bricks are usually fired in a continuously fired tunnel kiln , in which

413-430: A mechanical hydraulic press or manual lever press. A small amount of a cement binder may be added, resulting in a stabilised compressed earth block . There are thousands of types of bricks that are named for their use, size, forming method, origin, quality, texture, and/or materials. Categorized by manufacture method: Nic Schi%C3%B8ll Nicolai Marius "Nic" Schiøll (10 October 1901 – 29 December 1984)

472-461: A new City Hall. By the 1800s the building was too small and the growing administration moved to various premises across the city. Architectural competitions were held in 1876 and 1898 for a new building at Hammersborg, but the plans were never carried out due to a lack of funds. The idea of building a new city hall in Pipervika was first suggested by architect Oscar Hoff in 1906, but nothing came of

531-483: A relatively low embodied energy and carbon footprint . The ingredients are first harvested and added together, with clay content ranging from 30% to 70%. The mixture is broken up with hoes or adzes , and stirred with water to form a homogenous blend. Next, the tempers and binding agents are added in a ratio, roughly one part straw to five parts earth to reduce weight and reinforce the brick by helping reduce shrinkage. However, additional clay could be added to reduce

590-433: Is 31 metres wide, 39 metres long and around 21 metres high. The floor and parts of the walls are clad in marble. The room has a series of wall paintings depicting Norway and Oslo between the wars and also during occupation. They also depict the growth of commercial activity in the city, including the rise of the labour movement . Various monarchs and the city's patron saint, St. Hallvard are also depicted. The room in which

649-441: Is a similar term referring to a rectangular building unit composed of clay or concrete, but is usually larger than a brick. Lightweight bricks (also called lightweight blocks) are made from expanded clay aggregate . Fired bricks are one of the longest-lasting and strongest building materials , sometimes referred to as artificial stone, and have been used since c.  4000 BC . Air-dried bricks, also known as mudbricks , have

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708-536: Is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term brick denotes a unit primarily composed of clay , but is now also used informally to denote units made of other materials or other chemically cured construction blocks. Bricks can be joined using mortar , adhesives or by interlocking. Bricks are usually produced at brickworks in numerous classes, types, materials, and sizes which vary with region, and are produced in bulk quantities. Block

767-905: Is common in Sweden as well as Russia and other post-Soviet countries, especially in houses built or renovated in the 1970s. A version known as fly ash bricks , manufactured using fly ash , lime, and gypsum (known as the FaL-G process) are common in South Asia. Calcium-silicate bricks are also manufactured in Canada and the United States, and meet the criteria set forth in ASTM C73 – 10 Standard Specification for Calcium Silicate Brick (Sand-Lime Brick). Bricks formed from concrete are usually termed as blocks or concrete masonry unit , and are typically pale grey. They are made from

826-495: Is dug, 6–9 metres (20–30 ft) wide, 2–2.5 metres (6 ft 7 in – 8 ft 2 in) deep, and 100–150 metres (330–490 ft) in circumference. A tall exhaust chimney is constructed in the centre. Half or more of the trench is filled with "green" (unfired) bricks which are stacked in an open lattice pattern to allow airflow. The lattice is capped with a roofing layer of finished brick. In operation, new green bricks, along with roofing bricks, are stacked at one end of

885-448: Is manufactured differently for various purposes. Unfired bricks, also known as mudbrick , are made from a mixture of silt , clay , sand and other earth materials like gravel and stone, combined with tempers and binding agents such as chopped straw, grasses, tree bark , or dung. Since these bricks are made up of natural materials and only require heat from the Sun to bake, mudbricks have

944-527: The Brick Renaissance as the stylistic changes associated with the Italian Renaissance spread to northern Europe, leading to the adoption of Renaissance elements into brick building. Identifiable attributes included a low-pitched hipped or flat roof, symmetrical facade, round arch entrances and windows, columns and pilasters, and more. A clear distinction between the two styles only developed at

1003-566: The Building Research Establishment in Watford , UK, the use of improved masonry for the construction of tall structures up to 18 storeys high was made viable. However, the use of brick has largely remained restricted to small to medium-sized buildings, as steel and concrete remain superior materials for high-rise construction. Four basic types of brick are un-fired, fired, chemically set bricks, and compressed earth blocks. Each type

1062-567: The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in which the annual laureate gives a lecture and is awarded the medal and diploma. A podium for the laureate and the Nobel Committee is erected in the far end of the hall for each ceremony. The Norwegian royal family and prime minister are attendants. 59°54′42.35″N 10°44′0.90″E  /  59.9117639°N 10.7335833°E  / 59.9117639; 10.7335833 Red brick A brick

1121-533: The Poetic Edda . Joseph Grimeland designed the bronze relief over the entrance and also the Oslopike ("Oslo girl") high up on the wall. Six free-standing sculptures by Per Palle Storm in front of the building depict the craftsmen who built the building. Sigurd Nome 's sculpture "Rorkaren" (The Oarsman) appears on the east facade. The building's main hall was decorated by Henrik Sørensen and Alf Rolfsen . The Hall

1180-472: The woodlots . The advantage of the BTK design is a much greater energy efficiency compared with clamp or scove kilns . Sheet metal or boards are used to route the airflow through the brick lattice so that fresh air flows first through the recently burned bricks, heating the air, then through the active burning zone. The air continues through the green brick zone (pre-heating and drying the bricks), and finally out

1239-498: The City Council meets ( Bystyresalen ) is semi-circular. It is clad in oak and tapestries, the most noticeable of which was designed by Else Poulsson , the niece of the architect. Woven by Else Halling , it depicts St. Hallvard and the seven virtues . The artist hoped the design would remind the city's politicians of ethics and good decisionmaking. On December 10 (anniversary of Alfred Nobel 's death) each year, Oslo City Hall hosts

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1298-715: The Herculaneum gate of Pompeii and the baths of Caracalla . During the Early Middle Ages the use of bricks in construction became popular in Northern Europe , after being introduced there from Northwestern Italy. An independent style of brick architecture, known as brick Gothic (similar to Gothic architecture ) flourished in places that lacked indigenous sources of rocks. Examples of this architectural style can be found in modern-day Denmark, Germany, Poland, and Kaliningrad (former East Prussia ). This style evolved into

1357-524: The ancient Indus Valley cities of Mohenjo-daro , Harappa , and Mehrgarh . Ceramic, or fired brick was used as early as 3000 BC in early Indus Valley cities like Kalibangan . In the middle of the third millennium BC, there was a rise in monumental baked brick architecture in Indus cities. Examples included the Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro , the fire altars of Kaalibangan , and the granary of Harappa . There

1416-405: The brick pile. Historically, a stack of unfired bricks covered for protection from the weather was called a "hack". Cooled finished bricks are removed from the other end for transport to their destinations. In the middle, the brick workers create a firing zone by dropping fuel (coal, wood, oil, debris, etc.) through access holes in the roof above the trench. The constant source of fuel maybe grown on

1475-461: The bricks are fired as they move slowly through the kiln on conveyors , rails, or kiln cars, which achieves a more consistent brick product. The bricks often have lime , ash, and organic matter added, which accelerates the burning process. The other major kiln type is the Bull's Trench Kiln (BTK), based on a design developed by British engineer W. Bull in the late 19th century. An oval or circular trench

1534-440: The building, notably the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, which takes place every December. It appears that in the Middle Ages, various different buildings had the function of a city hall. One source suggests that one of those buildings had a wine cellar which was open to the public. In 1624, all of old Oslo burnt to the ground. King Christian IV decided that the city should not be rebuilt at the same location and instead be built to

1593-444: The buildings more visible in the heavy fog and to help prevent traffic accidents. The transition from the traditional method of production known as hand-moulding to a mechanised form of mass-production slowly took place during the first half of the nineteenth century. The first brick-making machine was patented by Richard A. Ver Valen of Haverstraw, New York, in 1852. The Bradley & Craven Ltd 'Stiff-Plastic Brickmaking Machine'

1652-464: The chimney, where the rising gases create suction that pulls air through the system. The reuse of heated air yields savings in fuel cost. As with the rail process, the BTK process is continuous. A half-dozen labourers working around the clock can fire approximately 15,000–25,000 bricks a day. Unlike the rail process, in the BTK process the bricks do not move. Instead, the locations at which the bricks are loaded, fired, and unloaded gradually rotate through

1711-456: The colour of bricks to blend-in areas of brickwork with the surrounding masonry. An impervious and ornamental surface may be laid on brick either by salt glazing , in which salt is added during the burning process, or by the use of a slip , which is a glaze material into which the bricks are dipped. Subsequent reheating in the kiln fuses the slip into a glazed surface integral with the brick base. Chemically set bricks are not fired but may have

1770-756: The construction materials for architectural wonders such as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon , where glazed fired bricks were put into practice. The earliest fired bricks appeared in Neolithic China around 4400 BC at Chengtoushan , a walled settlement of the Daxi culture . These bricks were made of red clay, fired on all sides to above 600 °C, and used as flooring for houses. By the Qujialing period (3300 BC), fired bricks were being used to pave roads and as building foundations at Chengtoushan. According to Lukas Nickel,

1829-592: The construction of canal , roads , and railways . Production of bricks increased massively with the onset of the Industrial Revolution and the rise in factory building in England. For reasons of speed and economy, bricks were increasingly preferred as building material to stone, even in areas where the stone was readily available. It was at this time in London that bright red brick was chosen for construction to make

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1888-653: The construction of the tomb of China's first Emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi . The floors of the three pits of the terracotta army were paved with an estimated 230,000 bricks, with the majority measuring 28x14x7 cm, following a 4:2:1 ratio. The use of fired bricks in Chinese city walls first appeared in the Eastern Han dynasty (25 AD-220 AD). Up until the Middle Ages, buildings in Central Asia were typically built with unbaked bricks. It

1947-518: The curing process accelerated by the application of heat and pressure in an autoclave. Calcium-silicate bricks are also called sandlime or flintlime bricks, depending on their ingredients. Rather than being made with clay they are made with lime binding the silicate material. The raw materials for calcium-silicate bricks include lime mixed in a proportion of about 1 to 10 with sand, quartz , crushed flint , or crushed siliceous rock together with mineral colourants . The materials are mixed and left until

2006-497: The end of the 19th century, the Hudson River region of New York State would become the world's largest brick manufacturing region, with 130 brickyards lining the shores of the Hudson River from Mechanicsville to Haverstraw and employing 8,000 people. At its peak, about 1 billion bricks were produced a year, with many being sent to New York City for use in its construction industry. The demand for high office building construction at

2065-477: The first bricks with dimension 400x150x100 mm. Between 5000 and 4500 BC, Mesopotamia had discovered fired brick. The standard brick sizes in Mesopotamia followed a general rule: the width of the dried or burned brick would be twice its thickness, and its length would be double its width. The South Asian inhabitants of Mehrgarh also constructed air-dried mudbrick structures between 7000 and 3300 BC and later

2124-454: The lime is completely hydrated; the mixture is then pressed into moulds and cured in an autoclave for three to fourteen hours to speed the chemical hardening. The finished bricks are very accurate and uniform, although the sharp arrises need careful handling to avoid damage to brick and bricklayer. The bricks can be made in a variety of colours; white, black, buff, and grey-blues are common, and pastel shades can be achieved. This type of brick

2183-401: The need for straw, which would prevent the likelihood of insects deteriorating the organic material of the bricks, subsequently weakening the structure. These ingredients are thoroughly mixed together by hand or by treading and are then left to ferment for about a day. The mix is then kneaded with water and molded into rectangular prisms of a desired size. Bricks are lined up and left to dry in

2242-400: The north of Akershus Fortress . The new city had wide streets at right angles. Building space for a town hall was made available between Rådhusgaten and Øvre Slottsgate . What is today referred to as the old City Hall ( Gamle rådhus ) was finished in 1641. The building still exists at Nedre Slottsgate 1. The building fell into decay and by 1733 a building at Rådhusgaten 7 was selected to be

2301-538: The plans. In 1915, the idea was taken up by Hieronymus Heyerdahl , who had just stood down as mayor . He noticed the city's lack of a representative city hall to receive the municipality's guests during the 1914 Jubilee Exhibition in Frogner. He set up an architectural competition which received a total of 44 entries in the first of two rounds. In 1918 Arnstein Arneberg and Magnus Poulsson were selected as winners, whose project

2360-476: The sun for three days on both sides. After the six days, the bricks continue drying until required for use. Typically, longer drying times are preferred, but the average is eight to nine days spanning from initial stages to its application in structures. Unfired bricks could be made in the spring months and left to dry over the summer for use in the autumn. Mudbricks are commonly employed in arid environments to allow for adequate air drying. Fired bricks are baked in

2419-489: The sun) until they were strong enough for use. The oldest discovered bricks, originally made from shaped mud and dating before 7500 BC, were found at Tell Aswad , in the upper Tigris region and in southeast Anatolia close to Diyarbakir . Mudbrick construction was used at Çatalhöyük , from c. 7,400 BC. Mudbrick structures, dating to c. 7,200 BC have been located in Jericho , Jordan Valley. These structures were made up of

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2478-437: The temperature inside the kiln stayed at a level that caused the clay to shimmer with the colour of molten gold or silver. He also had to know when to quench the kiln with water so as to produce the surface glaze. To anonymous labourers fell the less skilled stages of brick production: mixing clay and water, driving oxen over the mixture to trample it into a thick paste, scooping the paste into standardised wooden frames (to produce

2537-556: The third century BC, when baked bricks of regular shape began to be employed for vaulting underground tombs. Hollow brick tomb chambers rose in popularity as builders were forced to adapt due to a lack of readily available wood or stone. The oldest extant brick building above ground is possibly Songyue Pagoda , dated to 523 AD. By the end of the third century BC in China, both hollow and small bricks were available for use in building walls and ceilings. Fired bricks were first mass-produced during

2596-584: The time, and no further buildings were built in that style afterwards. Stockholm's city hall – also in brick – had been designed by Ragnar Östberg , and Martin Nyrop designed Copenhagen City Hall , which is also a monumental brick building. Both Nyrop and Östberg were on the jury which selected the winning design of Oslo City Hall. Various contests were held to decide who would decorate City Hall in January 1937. In all, eight painters and 17 sculptors were hired. Most of

2655-496: The transition to Baroque architecture . In Lübeck , for example, Brick Renaissance is clearly recognisable in buildings equipped with terracotta reliefs by the artist Statius von Düren, who was also active at Schwerin ( Schwerin Castle ) and Wismar (Fürstenhof). Long-distance bulk transport of bricks and other construction equipment remained prohibitively expensive until the development of modern transportation infrastructure, with

2714-625: The trench. The colour of fired clay bricks is influenced by the chemical and mineral content of the raw materials, the firing temperature, and the atmosphere in the kiln. For example, pink bricks are the result of a high iron content, white or yellow bricks have a higher lime content. Most bricks burn to various red hues; as the temperature is increased the colour moves through dark red, purple, and then to brown or grey at around 1,300 °C (2,370 °F). The names of bricks may reflect their origin and colour, such as London stock brick and Cambridgeshire White. Brick tinting may be performed to change

2773-619: The turn of the 20th century led to a much greater use of cast and wrought iron , and later, steel and concrete . The use of brick for skyscraper construction severely limited the size of the building – the Monadnock Building , built in 1896 in Chicago, required exceptionally thick walls to maintain the structural integrity of its 17 storeys. Following pioneering work in the 1950s at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and

2832-429: The use of ceramic pieces for protecting and decorating floors and walls dates back at various cultural sites to 3000-2000 BC and perhaps even before, but these elements should be rather qualified as tiles . For the longest time builders relied on wood, mud and rammed earth, while fired brick and mudbrick played no structural role in architecture. Proper brick construction, for erecting walls and vaults , finally emerges in

2891-480: The work was completed by the opening of the hall in 1950, though the sculpture park was not completed until the 1960s. The western wall of the building is dominated by Anne Grimdalen 's sculpture of Harald Hardråde on horseback. Nic Schiøll 's sculpture of St. Hallvard is at the front of the building, facing Oslofjord. Reliefs by Dagfin Werenskiold face the square and are multicoloured depictions of motifs from

2950-662: Was a Norwegian sculptor and painter. He was most known for his public works, ornamental sculptures and memorials. Schiøll was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway. He was the son of Marius Larsen Schiøll (1870-1920) and Karen Louise Ødegaard (1874-1944). He graduated artium at Frogner School in 1920. He trained under professor Wilhelm Rasmussen at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry . From 1923-24, he worked in Paris with Antoine Bourdelle . Schiøll

3009-512: Was a uniformity to the brick sizes throughout the Indus Valley region, conforming to the 1:2:4, thickness, width, and length ratio. As the Indus civilization began its decline at the start of the second millennium BC, Harappans migrated east, spreading their knowledge of brickmaking technology. This led to the rise of cities like Pataliputra , Kausambi , and Ujjain , where there was an enormous demand for kiln-made bricks. By 604 BC, bricks were

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3068-688: Was affiliated with the restoration of Nidaros Cathedral from 1927-36. He designed nine sculptures for the Nidaros Cathedral West Front. He most notable work is the relief of St. Halvard at the southern wall of the Oslo City Hall . Among his other sculptural works are Grekeren from 1924 at the National Gallery and World War II memorials in Stavern and Odda . In 1945, Schiøll's six-meter-high monument for missionary Paul Olaf Bodding

3127-423: Was also forced to close as a new zoning plan created new plots of land for sale. The purpose was to raise funds for the construction of the building. In November 1936 the shell of the building was completed. A few floors of office space were in use by the time war broke out in 1940. Construction resumed after the war and the office space was in use by 1947, while final touches were still being added. Oslo City Hall

3186-714: Was clearly inspired by Stockholm City Hall . A continued lack of funds meant that construction had to wait, and in the intervening years the architects made several changes to the project. In 1930 they present their final draft, which had undergone significant changes, influenced by functionalism. The most apparent change was the addition of two office towers. The ground stone laying ceremony took place in September 1931, with King Haakon VII and Crown Prince Olav in attendance. Actual construction began in February 1933. Various buildings were also torn down. The city's old amusement park – Tivoli –

3245-726: Was hot, filthy work. Early civilisations around the Mediterranean , including the Ancient Greeks and Romans , adopted the use of fired bricks. By the early first century CE, standardised fired bricks were being heavily produced in Rome. The Roman legions operated mobile kilns , and built large brick structures throughout the Roman Empire , stamping the bricks with the seal of the legion. The Romans used brick for walls, arches, forts, aqueducts, etc. Notable mentions of Roman brick structures are

3304-402: Was officially opened on 15 May 1950, as part of the city's 900-year anniversary. Three musical compositions were written in connection with the celebrations, written by Ludvig Irgens-Jensen , Eivind Groven and Karl Andersen . By the time it opened in 1950, the style of the building was no longer popular. Brick was in stark contrast to the steel and glass which architects considered modern at

3363-513: Was only starting in the ninth century CE when buildings were entirely constructed using fired bricks. The carpenter's manual Yingzao Fashi , published in 1103 at the time of the Song dynasty described the brick making process and glazing techniques then in use. Using the 17th-century encyclopaedic text Tiangong Kaiwu , historian Timothy Brook outlined the brick production process of Ming dynasty China: ...the kilnmaster had to make sure that

3422-663: Was patented in 1853. Bradley & Craven went on to be a dominant manufacturer of brickmaking machinery. Henry Clayton, employed at the Atlas Works in Middlesex , England, in 1855, patented a brick-making machine that was capable of producing up to 25,000 bricks daily with minimal supervision. His mechanical apparatus soon achieved widespread attention after it was adopted for use by the South Eastern Railway Company for brick-making at their factory near Folkestone . At

3481-576: Was unveiled at Gjøvik Church . Schiøll was awarded the Henrichsens legat and Conrad Mohrs legat in 1928. He was a member of the supervisory board of Kunstnernes Hus in Oslo 1937-45. He was awarded 1st prize in the competition to decorate the south wall of Oslo City Hall in 1938. For his artistic work, he was awarded the King's Medal of Merit in gold in 1950 and Nidaros Cathedral medal in gold in 1969. From 1937 until his death, he had his studio at his home in

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