York Handmade Brick in Martigny hotel contract, Switzerland

York Handmade Brick Company, which is one of the leading independent brickmakers in the country and is based at Alne, near Easingwold is supplying more than 20,000 specially manufactured bricks for a brand-new hotel in the heart of Martigny, one of Switzerland’s most historic towns.

The contract is worth £33,000 and is a resounding endorsement of York Handmade’s decision to invest £1.5 million in brand-new machinery earlier this year.

Lo Dze is situated 30 metres from the main square. It consists of two separate buildings around a central courtyard which is open to the public. Above ground it comprises Borsari, a boutique hotel with 51 rooms and the Kitchen 180 (Lo Dze is exactly 180 km away from the very centre of the Roman cities of Lyon, Milan and Zürich), which services the wine bar, restaurant and the café, the courtyard and terraces.

Lo Dze also features vast underground Roman baths, Les Bains Publics, in the space that was formerly Les Caves Orsat, a 19th Century winery.

John Cretton, of QDS Leisure, who are masterminding this project, explained why he chose York Handmade to supply the bricks.

“I was looking for a brick that was handmade with the right colours and the right size. The massive nature of the architecture, one side of the street facade is windowless apart from a half-moon opening on the ground floor, meant that the brick had to be visually strong. Overall, it was a winning combination of colour, form, texture and cost," said John.

“Martigny was an important Roman town, the last town to the north built by the legionary architects. It had three Roman bath houses. We have built the fourth. Interestingly, pottery and other remains from Roman Britain has been found in Martigny.

“The concept for the hotel was first developed more than ten years ago. Construction began in 2021 and it will officially open this September.”

David Armitage, the chairman of York Handmade, said: “This is a very prestigious project for us, especially in the context of these challenging economic times. It has been a tremendous boost for our factory and a great honour to contribute to a pioneering and innovative development in such an historic town.

“This is a crucial year for us at York Handmade. We have invested £1.5 million in brand-new machinery which has transformed how we make our bricks. Over the years, we have undertaken significant technological improvements, culminating in this overhaul and renewal of our manufacturing process, which has speeded up production, facilitated two brand-new products and increased efficiency.”

David Armitage