Situated at the junction of Lambeth Road and Kennington Road, and offering views of the Grade-II listed Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Mission is a landmark mixed-use development. The project includes a striking 12-storey, 137-bedroom hotel, a modern community facility, and two residential apartments designated for the Methodist Church.

Given the architectural complexity and aesthetic ambition of the development, IG Masonry Support was the chosen supplier to design and manufacture 105 Brick Slip Arches. These bespoke components were tailored to meet both the structural demands and the visual integrity of the four-storey community building, contributing significantly to its refined façade and overall architectural character.

IG Masonry Support was selected for the Lambeth Mission project for our proven track record in high-quality masonry solutions. Specified by Aros Architects, we designed, manufactured, and supported the installation of 105 Brick Slip Arches, working closely with HG Construction and Bishop Ltd. We also supplied over 120 metres of bespoke Welded Masonry Support, engineered to bolt to the steel structure and accommodate varying cavity widths and complex corners.

Early collaboration with Aros Architects ensured a unified design approach, delivering seamless and consistent results across the project.

Combing the Arches
One of the key technical challenges on this project involved the precise alignment of intersecting arches. It was essential that the bricks from one arch seamlessly aligned with those of the adjacent arch.

While this type of coordination occasionally arises on smaller projects – where we typically lay bricks to both arches simultaneously – the complexity and number of critical junctions on this site required a more structured and repeatable approach to ensure consistency and accuracy across the build.

Crafting a Seamless Hand-Laid Finish

The original architectural vision aimed for the Brick Slip Arches to blend seamlessly with the traditionally hand-laid brickwork surrounding them. However, the chosen brick – a handmade 40mm bed brick – presented a unique challenge due to its irregularity.

The architect was keen to ensure there was no visible distinction between the Brick Slip Arches and the surrounding masonry, with the arches maintaining the appearance of being hand-laid.

Once bricks were sourced from the site to begin manufacturing the arches, it quickly became apparent that they varied significantly in size, featured natural bows, and had rough edges – making them particularly difficult to cut and work with.

With 105 Brick Slip Arches required for the Lambeth Mission project, early and ongoing collaboration was essential to its success. From the outset, our Chief Designer worked closely with the project architect to fully understand the design intent and aesthetic goals.

This partnership continued throughout the project, with our design team and site engineer providing consistent support to ensure a smooth approval process and successful installation.

Combing the Arches

To meet the precise alignment and aesthetic requirements of the intersecting arches on each elevation, our technical team developed a bespoke template. This ensured accurate brick placement by allowing our bonding team to carefully align each unit while accounting for the exact locations of every junction.

Given the complexity of the design – featuring seven different arch types – our team also produced a series of test arches. These prototypes were presented both at our Brick Cutting Facility and onsite, giving the client and site team a clear view of the final appearance. This step was critical for gaining approval before full-scale production began, especially considering the volume and variation of arches involved. The approved sample established a benchmark for workmanship and quality expectations across the entire project.

One of the most intricate aspects of the project was the terrace area, which featured 10 interconnected Brick Slip Arches, including five internal corners and one external corner. Each arch was engineered to interconnect at six different points while accounting for vertical movement joints – an essential detail for long-term structural integrity. To accommodate the steelwork running around the perimeter of the terrace, we designed deep soffits in two separate halves. A single-unit solution was not feasible due to the steel configuration, so each soffit section was fabricated to meet in the centre. Once installed, the joint was pointed onsite to achieve a seamless finish.

Crafting a Seamless Hand-Laid Finish

Despite the challenges of the handmade bricks – such as natural bowing, size variation, and rough edges – these features ultimately enhanced the authenticity of the Brick Slip Arches. By embracing these irregularities, IG Masonry Support was able to create arches that blended seamlessly with the traditionally hand-laid brickwork, staying true to the project’s architectural vision.

Onsite construction of the soffits would have required complex formwork and extensive labour. Instead, our factory controlled environment allowed for greater precision and consistency, with arches delivered ready for installation and only pointing needed onsite – saving both time and labour. Achieving uniform perp joints with such irregular bricks would have also been difficult onsite, but in the factory, our team could make fine adjustments to ensure a clean, consistent finish.

Lambeth Mission Case Study Brochure
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