Earlier in the year we covered A compact history of concrete and A guide to designing with concrete. Now we look at the projects of this year that use concrete in inspiring and innovative ways.
1. Webster flagship store by David Adjaye
After a comprehensive renovation of the LA Beverly Center by Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas in 2018, David Adjaye attaches a pink flagship store for the Webster to the monolithic eight story structure. Reminishinct of the crimson hued Ruby City museum, David Adjaye opts another time for a striking pigmented concrete materialization.
2. Aranya Art Center by Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
Composed primarily of various textured concretes, with and without aggregate, the façade and materiality of the building is heavy in nature, like a solid rock sitting firmly in the shifting environment. Smooth surfaces reflect the changing skies, while the molded modular units pick up on the play of shadows throughout the day. Bronze elements act as accents on the heavy façade to catch light and draw attention to the entry of each gallery. Custom lighting and details add a touch of intricacy to the otherwise modest palette. In the evening, open modules allow light to shine through, the building is a jewel at the core of this seaside community.
3. He Art Museum by Tadao Ando
Located in China’s Guangdon province, the He Art Museum (HEM) by Pritzker-prize winning architect Tadao Ando features the architect’s signature use of concrete and natural elements including light, water and wind. The design is further influenced by Lingnan architectural culture and circular/elliptical forms.
4. BingDingWood kiln by AZL architects
BingDingWood kiln consists of the kiln building and the kiln. The design revolves around the kiln as the core, coupled with the configuration of the streamlined and parallel production axis and observation axis. The kiln building adopts a concrete arch similar to the kiln’s brick arch structure, and stresses the axial symmetry of the east and the west of the kiln.The top light belts, the wall windows, and the floor vertical joints of the kiln building are all directed to the central axis of the kiln.
5. IL Cielo In Terra by Alberto Campo Baeza
A small box of reinforced concrete measuring 3x3x3 m, strategically placed apertures allow rays of light to enter, illuminating the interior of the space. A white marble cube engraved with a gold cross is suspended in the middle of the tomb and holds ashes. Alberto Campo Baeza describes his aim in designing the tomb as creating ‘the most beautiful space for ashes, like a piece of heaven on earth.’
6. Hotel Bauhofstrasse by VON M
Sensitively integrated into its context, Hotel Bauhofstrasse by VON M Architects is constructed using a wooden room module system that sets the standard for ecology, efficiency, build time, and quality. The modules were produced in Austria, transported to the Ludwigsburg site and installed within five working days. Clad in white fiber cement plates, the finished appearance does not indicate that this is, in fact, a wooden building.
7. Recreation center by Graal Architecture
The rhythmic and kinetic façade expresses the different temporalities of the program while dialoguing with the activities of the nearby railways. Composed of curving concrete veils colored a pinkish gray, the façade, though massive, vibrates and interacts with the light, one’s point of view and the comings and goings of users making this a welcoming and protective building.
8. Ha Long Villa by VTN Architects
Exterior walls are made by rough exposed concrete which creates an impression of stone found in Ha Long Bay. The greenery in the semi-exterior spaces casts shadows on this strong facade, creating an ever-changing appearance over time. The contrast between the rough concrete and soft trees expresses a unique impression to the outside. Additionally, with dozens of plants planted on the roof, we create an area several times larger than the original green area.
9. Klostergasse Studio by Bernardo Bader Architekten
On a small formerly abandoned site near the Bregenz train station, a sleek, elongated structure in dark-stained concrete has emerged. Designed by Bernardo Bader Architekten, the large scale of the district administrative office and the provincial police headquarters in the foreground, along with surrounding residential buildings of the 1960’s and 1970’s, draw out the character of this new addition to the urban sphere.
10. Peach Hut by Atelier XI
To facilitate culture and art education in the rural region of Xiuwu, Henan, China, a series of miniature pavilions were constructed in different locations to serve the vast 630 square kilometre county area. Designed by Atelier XI, the cast-in-place concrete structures take on tree-like forms that reach out to the sky. Their locations vary from fields to forests to mountaintops, with their forms differing in response.
