YORK Handmade Brick Company supplied 100,000 bricks to London Bridge Station, the runner-up in this year’s prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize for architecture.

London Bridge reopened in 2017 after a £1billion redevelopment, which restored the brickwork and archways to their former glory.

The RIBA Stirling Prize jury praised the station’s "voluminous spaces and impressive new concourse, which had significantly improved the experience of those who use it daily".

York Handmade, at Alne, near Easingwold, also supplied 100,000 bricks for London Bridge Place, an office and retail development, next to the station. Together the contracts were worth £250,000. The company created special bricks called Autumn Sunset and London Stock for the two projects.

Chairman David Armitage said the project had put the company on the map. “We are honoured and humbled to have played a part in London Bridge Station coming so close to winning the Stirling Prize, the most prestigious award in the architectural world.

“The whole station development is absolutely stunning – and sets the bar incredibly high for future station redevelopments and restorations. Our ability to produce attractive bespoke bricks to order means we are now on the radar of influential architects and builders across the country."

“They follow on from our work on the nearby Shard, arguably the most iconic modern building in the whole of London. It is fantastic that a Yorkshire company should have played a significant role in the acclaimed regeneration of the London Bridge area, which is now a commercial and residential hotspot,” he added.

Since work began in 2013, London Bridge has been transformed by Network Rail as part of the government-sponsored Thameslink Programme, while remaining open for the 50 million passengers that use London’s oldest station each year. The vast new concourse, larger than the pitch at Wembley, unites all fifteen platforms for the first time and modern facilities make the landmark station fully accessible for all.

Other high-profile projects carried out in London by York Handmade include Highbury Stadium, Carmelite House and Highgate School.

He added: “Our acclaimed work in London means that our reputation as a premier brick supplier in the capital for both residential and commercial developments is gathering its own momentum. Our work on the Shard led to the prestigious London Bridge commissions, for example, so the future looks bright.”