Ziggurat

Summary

An embossed brick monument conceived as a stepped family tree for the Longley family of Turners Hill, West Sussex. Designed by Liza Jane Stumbke in 2004, for the Clockfield development in Turners Hill, Sussex. Sponsored by Ibstock Brick Hudson.

A Sculpture of Embossed Memory

Ziggurat translates the idea of a family tree into architecture. The work was planned as a stepped brick structure whose courses record generations of the Longley family, a longstanding local construction firm. Each brick carries an embossed name, creating a readable surface that maps lineage in space.

The concept grew from childhood walks through the village graveyard, where many Longley children are buried. The presence of numerous, elaborate headstones and the loss of life at young ages informed the work's tone. The ziggurat form offers clarity and stability, stacking names by generation while remaining legible in a public setting.

Bricks were to be produced in wet clay and embossed before firing so the lettering became integral to the material. The finished piece was intended as a permanent reminder of the family's role in shaping the locality. Although sponsored by Ibstock Brick Hudson and approved for a new housing development in Turners Hill, the installation was postponed and never completed due to the company's collapse.