Every year new architectural and interior design products and materials are being introduced into the design industry. One such material is translucent concrete. This can be used in a variety of ways within interior and exterior environments.
Due to the durability of the concrete material, it can have many different uses as demonstrated in the images above; an entrance gate or a façade wall.
Translucent concrete is composed of layered blocks of concrete with embedded fibre-optic cables, which allows light to pass through and thus create a translucent effect. The blocks can be custom made and available in varying different sizes, thicknesses and colours. This material is currently available in many surface finishes, such as blasted, brushed, satined, grinded and scorched.
The embedded fibre-optics create a linear but uneven pattern when the light passes through. Daylight or ambient light can show the translucent qualities of the material, however placing a form of light fixture behind it can enhance this effect.
The variety on the material’s size, thickness and colour, means that this material can be diversely applied to floors, walls, facades and furniture. It can be used to create unique and original furniture, partition walls, and due to its durability can be applied to any surface.
The desk above is made of translucent coloured concrete with the unique patterns being created by the embedded fibre-optics. The same can be said of the staircase, although, with this example, strips of linear light are placed on the rise of the steps to light up and show the translucent effect of the material.
Translucent concrete is an interesting material, with a variety of applications which can make any interior or exterior space unique and original. Translucent concrete manufacturers promise to further expand the material’s flexibility of use, thereby reducing its cost. The material’s initial cost per square meter, ranged from 1000-1500 Euros.
Before selecting any new material it is important to look at its technical application data and consider its suitability for the task at hand. For example, is the product UV resistant when used as an exterior façade and how well does the material behave when exposed to extreme temperatures?
As translucent concrete is a relatively new product, the above should be considered and reviewed in great detail before use.
References
LUCCON (2006-2012) Translucent Concrete [Online] LUCCON. Available from: http://www.luccon.com/en/material.php [Accessed 116/01/2014]
LiTraCon (2001-2014) Light – transmitting Concrete [Online] LiTraCon. Available from: http://litracon.hu/product.php?id=7 [Accessed 116/01/2014]
LUCCON (2006-2012) Translucent Concrete [Online Images].Available from: http://www.luccon.com/en/implementation.php [Accessed 14.01.14]
