Dublin Civic Trust Learning

Architectural Stoneware & Terracotta Webinar

This three-hour webinar provides a detailed overview of two distinctive types of cast architectural products, their applications and approaches to conservation: artificial stoneware and terracotta, which were used for architectural enrichment primarily during the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries.

These useful materials were the product of innovation with centuries-old techniques that reached a peak of refinement in the late Georgian and Victorian periods. Industrial processes developed by London’s Coade manufactory in the case of stoneware, and Irish, Welsh and English clay and brick manufacturers like Ruabon and Portmarnock in the case of terracotta, created product lines that influenced not only decorative styles and architecture, but also the very methods by which buildings were constructed.

Three expert speakers, historian Patrick Pilkington, Chilstone Irish agent Caroline Pilkington, and terracotta/faience manufacturer Shane Nolan, Nolan’s Group conservation contractors, will guide attendees through the history, characteristics, applications and conservation approaches to cast architectural elements including Chilstone architectural and garden products, terracotta, faience and decorative brick - charted through processes and case studies. This is a unique opportunity to learn about this diverse and interrelated arena of architectural casting and how the principles of repair, conservation and accurate reproduction can be achieved by leading suppliers and practitioners working today.