Corobrik & the Spectrum Project — Glazed Bricks That Tell a Story

Corobrik has always believed that building materials are also building messages. Bricks are not just structural elements, but they are storytellers, cultural carriers, and in the hands of the right creative minds, they become powerful tools of reflection.

One of the most striking recent examples of this is our collaboration with Alexander Opper, Head of the Bachelor of Architecture Programme at the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA). His sculptural work, Spectrum, featured in the faculty’s recent exhibition IMPACT, is a vivid reminder that materials can communicate ideas far beyond the built environment.

A Tower of Colour – A Tower of Meaning Spectrum I, the work that greets visitors as they enter the exhibition, is a tall column of glazed bricks – each one specially produced in a unique colour. The seven bricks are stacked vertically on a wooden stand, forming a deliberate and precise gradient that references the seven colours of the rainbow.

While stunning in its simplicity, the piece asks big questions.

South Africa’s “Rainbow Nation” was a phrase filled with hope at the dawn of democracy. But like all national narratives, it is layered, contested, and in continuous transformation. Opper’s sculpture invites viewers to look up – physically and metaphorically – and reconsider how we read the colours, the story, and the ideal they represent.

Crafting Colour Through Collaboration

To bring Opper’s precise colour palette to life, Corobrik partnered with him to develop custom glazes that pushed beyond traditional brick hues. The project required technical development, experimentation, and a willingness to treat bricks not only as construction units, but as artistic surfaces.

For us, this collaboration reflects something deeply aligned with our ethos:

· Innovation in brick manufacturing

· Curiosity about how materials can communicate

· Support for South African creative practice and education

Bricks as Message

While Spectrum I is a sculpture, its language is architectural:

It shows how the disciplines of art and architecture can speak the same visual language and how a familiar material can be experienced in a completely new way.

In a world where brick is often seen simply as durable, strong, and practical, Spectrum reminds us that it can also be expressive and reflective. It can carry cultural meaning. It can be part of national conversations. It can spark dialogue.

Celebrating Creative Research in South Africa

The exhibition IMPACT asks the question:

What is the effect of our work – on the world and on ourselves?

Opper’s contribution answers that through material, colour, form, and perspective. It demonstrates how architectural thinking can shape not just buildings, but ideas – and how artistic practice can reframe everyday materials into objects of contemplation.

Corobrik is honoured to have played a part in that process.