Imagine 08. Concretable

When thinking of concrete the general association is that the material is heavy, hard, cold – and in a sense brutal. For certain building eras it seems valid to say that concrete is an allegory for inconsideration in public spaces – as well as in buildings such as schools, social housing and utilitarian buildings/parking garages.

Today, the material experiences a renaissance; one could speak of a neo-concrete era. The advantages adjudicated to this material have fundamentally changed. Modern types of concrete are available on the market for a multitude of applications – ranging from light and insulating to filigree and high pressure resistant. Concrete fascinates as no other material does since in its fluid state it can be forced into any conceivable mould while becoming highly pressure resistant and massive when hardened. However, the advantage also becomes the material’s main disadvantage: concrete and formwork are closely interdependent. Only with formwork does concrete become a usable building material. Thus elaborate concrete parts require elaborate formwork.

This book illustrates what concrete is already capable of as well as what else is possible. Furthermore, it also shows future developments in the material – where concrete’s technological, constructive and – always a driving factor – aesthetic and design-related potential lie.