Multifaceted architecture

Color spaces with concrete

In historical and contemporary buildings as well as current construction projects, concrete literally plays a massive role. However, modern concrete architecture now has little in common with the (gray) dreariness of the past. Through the use of new high-performance concretes, significant changes in design are apparent. The addition of high-quality inorganic pigments also enables indi-vidual color schemes to be created that perfectly match the building project – in a single process and without additional time expenditure in the form of painting or plastering.
Concrete is the undisputed number one building material worldwide. For good reasons: The mate-rial is load-bearing, and durable, flexible to process and available in many different types for a wide variety of applications. Concrete is also relatively moderately priced. And by modifying the formula-tion, it can be individually tailored to a wide variety of construction, civil engineering and road-building projects.

Exposed concrete – the modern architectural language

In contemporary architecture, exposed concrete offers a particularly wide range of possibilities: This is usually understood to mean concrete parts, the visible surfaces of which form part of the architectural or interior design of a building. With exposed concrete, it is possible to produce the finest grain surfaces – without subsequent finishing. Even complex structures can be realized by using flexible forms and matrices. Additional advantages in architectural design are offered by new types of concrete, such as ultra-high-strength concretes, which are characterized by extreme strength.

Regardless of whether the building project in question is an imposing or decorative, concrete offers a wide range of design possibilities for architects: It plays an important role in architecture, although only when combined with color does it seem aesthetically pleasing. The opportunities provided by permanent concrete coloring, which is achieved primarily by adding inorganic color pigments during the concrete mixing process, are almost unlimited. 

Colored Concrete Works - an initiative for architects

For many years now, the LANXESS "Colored Concrete Works" initiative has inspired architects and construction companies to realize modern architecture with colored concrete. Reference projects document the successful processing of colored concrete using pigments in international construction projects. The initiative is accompanied by forums and symposia offering architects, site managers and contractors a platform for discussion and exchange of ideas on the possibilities of coloring concrete with pigments. Further information can be found at: www.colored-concrete-works.com.