Shaping the future in brick: the story of Matzen Tegl

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Matzen tegl

For more than 275 years, Matzen Tegl has fired bricks in Egernsund. Today, eighth-generation owner Peter Matzen still tends the kilns himself, carrying forward a craft built on durability, flexibility and close dialogue with architects. Scan Magazine talks to the brick-burner about history, green ambitions and new visions.

In the words of his wife, CBO Elsebeth Dresler Matzen says: “At the end of the workday, Peter is always the one with the most dirt on his clothes – the kilns are his.” Smiling, her husband adds: “I’m not so good with computers. But perhaps I’m the last real brick-burner in our line.”

Do not be fooled into thinking that means the 63-year-old is not a man of the future. As the eighth generation, Matzen took over in 2006 after years alongside his father. Since then, he has modernised the business, expanded its international reach – and kept a hands-on grip on the kilns. He is now tackling his era’s defining task: a genuinely green transition – steep cuts in emissions on the way to near CO₂-neutrality.

Today, the conventional rules of brickwork are often broken to achieve a more individual expression. Here, the 3243 Krøyer is laid on edge, with the recess facing outward.

A craft of generations

Since the late 18th century, the Matzen family has been shaping clay into lasting architecture. “In my father’s time, when you talked about bricks, it was always only red or yellow, but we have continued to push further to explore new nuances. If we don’t use what clay can do – what the firing process can bring out – then brick will not survive as a material,” he stresses.

Matzen Tegl still works with red and yellow clays deposited during the last Ice Age, but through firing techniques, variations in oxygen levels, and the use of oxides such as iron, they now produce an extraordinary range of hues and surfaces. The expertise is backed by a philosophy that has carried through the centuries: durability, craftsmanship, and responsiveness. “Our motto is: if it can be made, we will make it,” says Dresler Matzen. “Matzen bricks tell stories and create identity. That is what sets us apart.”

Projects in dialogue

Today, product development is driven as much by architects’ visions as by the company’s own explorations. “Much of our development comes from architects or builders who ask for a specific colour or surface,” Matzen explains. “We work on it, we send samples, and we usually get there. When architect, mortar and brick all do a good job together, you have something that stands for hundreds of years and enriches the city.”

This approach has led to landmark projects such as Krøyers Plads in Copenhagen and Théâtre de Carouge in Switzerland, where tailor-made Matzen bricks became defining elements of the architecture. Demand for individuality is growing, with trends leaning towards structured surfaces, varied bonds, shadow effects, and the slender Flensborg format. For Matzen, the willingness to experiment and adapt is not just service, but survival.

63-year-old Peter Matzen is the eighth generation in his family to head Matzen Tegl.

From red to green

No challenge, however, is greater than the green transition. “The biggest task is going from being a black to a green industry,” says Matzen. “We are already well underway, with several projects to reduce energy consumption. Ultimately, we want to capture the CO₂ we emit and become a nearly CO₂-neutral company. We expect to reach that goal within five years.”

Among the initiatives is Project Valgreen, a project supported by EU funds and developed in partnership with researchers from the Danish Technical University and other external experts, aiming to create climate-friendly bricks with a radically reduced footprint. Alongside this, Matzen Tegl already fires as much as possible using biogas, publishes updated EPDs, and is testing new formats with lower embedded carbon.

A passion for bricks

Looking to the future, Peter is clear about his goals: to be recognised as Europe’s most visionary brickmaker, rooted in tradition but open to innovation, and to become the first choice for architects across the continent. But whether there will be a ninth generation of brick makers in his family, he will leave up to fate. “I love creating something that is beautiful and lasting, and being part of history – I burn for bricks,” he says with a laugh before growing serious. “The next generation should only do it if they want to, if they burn for it too. For now, I hope to keep watch over the kilns for another 20 years.”