Approach on brick and its use in Brussels from the 14th to the 18th century

Omnipresent in the citylandscape of Brussels, the brick of the Ancien Regime still remains an unknown materiel for the public and for the scientific community. New research conducted by the Research Centre for Archaeology and Heritage of the Université libre de Bruxelles provides a new focus on the fabrication and the use of this material in the city and its periphery. According to the historical and archaeological sources, the first witness of brick dates from the second half of the 13th century or from the beginning of the 14th century. From that moment onwards, the use continuously increased. Between the 14th and 16th centuries, the use of brick is contemporary with other material types such as stone and timber. From the 17th century onwards, brick constructions will supplant all other types of architecture. Changes in the production and the implementation of bricks are observed almost simultaniously, showing the innovative process made on ceramics and the capacity of masons to adapt their work to it. Research shows that at the end of the 17th century, and during the following century, the importation of ‘foreign’ bricks is more and more common. They will be used in mass, supplant the local product and provide deep changes in the way of brusselse brick production.