The Concrete Centre is a valued window shopper

This winter, Rodić Davidson Architects is hosting a collection of concrete in its window exhibition in central London. 4363 The Concrete Centre is curating the display, entitled #thisisconcrete, which illustrates different visual properties of concrete including black, white and textured concrete.

Elaine Toogood, senior architect at 4363 The Concrete Centre, who is leading the project, explains this showcase of different types of concrete and her hopes that it might challenge some people’s perception of what concrete can be. “Concrete is most certainly a 21st century material with a huge range of benefits and a wide scale of uses,’ explains Toogood, “and yet it has been in used in construction for thousands of years.

“There is such an enormous diversity of shape, form and texture possible with contemporary concrete that is was quite a challenge to choose what examples to display. We could have filled a whole street!”

Of course much of the recent evolution and innovation in concrete relates to the mix itself, but these developments (such as low-carbon concrete) may not have been as visually interesting. We decided on a simple sculptural display, befitting its position in the window of an architectural studio.

The pieces range from architectural precast and coloured concrete, lightweight concrete and samples that glow in the dark, as well as a concrete surface infused with linen.  The examples shown represent concrete currently used in construction as well as new forms and innovative processes, demonstrating the continuing evolution of concrete to meet contemporary needs.

The Concrete Centre wish to thank Cornish Concrete Products, Chryso, Cemex, Lanxess, Techrete, Ruth Morrow and Trish Belford for providing the concrete on show and of course Rodić Davidson Architects for the opportunity.

The exhibition at Rodić Davidson Architects, 1 Pied Bull Yard, London, WC1A 2AE, ends in February 2019.

Part of the Mineral Products Association, the Concrete Centre provides material, design and construction guidance. Our aim is to enable all those involved in the design, use and performance of concrete to realise the potential of the material. The Concrete Centre provides published guidance, seminars, courses, online resources and industry research to the design community.