Brick and Timber Architecture in Schwerin

I already wrote in another article about brick Gothic buildings. It is such a fascinating architecture and has so much history. It is one of the things I really like in Northern Germany. And I use the time I have to stay there to have a look in cities with this architecture.

Bricks are a common material for buildings. Worldwide people are producing bricks out of clay, lime and sand or concrete. As in the region around the Baltic Sea there are no mountains or stone resources but sandy grounds bricks were the perfect solution for huge buildings. Buildings that last centuries after all.

These bricks are normally reddish. They have not always the same seize but have a norm. They can be laid in many ways and so there is a change in the overall picture of the house or building. Using the upper side, the long or the short one makes a complete difference. Also the mortal in between the bricks to hold them together is not always grey. Changing color makes it even more interesting.

In the years many of the brick built houses were painted or plastered over the original surface and so they loose definitely their charming. But historically important buildings have normally their original surface. Glazed bricks are often dark grey or black and with the red they are really confusing in looking at them from far.

I like very much the small brick houses that have black timber beams in between. Horizontal, vertical and crossed they give a special look to the houses. Many of them have a large number of small windows and have not more than two stories.

Churches are the most famous buildings in this brick architecture. They are mainly in Gothic style. But also later on they can be found. While the houses with timber worked in between the bricks look more cozy and inviting, churches and official buildings look extremely powerful.

It is incredible how much they have their own temperature in the buildings. As bricks are a ‘breathing’ material there is a complete different climate inside houses of this material. I’ve been many times in houses and buildings like these and and it’s completely different to modern buildings.

In Schwerin I found a lot these timber buildings. Mainly small ones – besides churches – and with timber beams. I like this red and black on the facades, often they have a big entrance door also of heavy wood and they have a hidden yard in the back.

I am curious who of you like this architecture and who is maybe living in a place with brick architecture?


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