Amazing Translucent Concrete Opens a New World of Design Ideas

When you think of concrete design, you may have images of dark, industrial-inspired interiors and drab, warehouse style exteriors. And while that is certainly one way to incorporate the material, a much less common - but brighter - option is also available in the way of translucent concrete. The light transmitting concrete feels high tech, but it was actually first introduced in 1935. Through the use of fine grain concrete and light conducting elements, usually optical fibers, construction companies today are able to create concrete blocks that transmit light and look almost as if they are glowing from within. This concrete is found variously in fine architecture buildings and also as cladding for an interior walls. In this post, we will show you a few different ways that this incredible material has been used in the real world.

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Designer: Albert Abutov
Photographer: Jam ErsozluThe first project is a restoration of a hotel. By using FIBROTRANS concrete, designer Albert Abutov was able to create a unique separation between the main space of the room and the bathroom. The material allows sunlight to pass through into the bathroom during the day and lighting from the bathroom to illuminate the bedroom at night. These images give you a sense of how warm and almost otherworldly this material can be.

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In another example from Lucen Lichtbeton, a company that produces this special concrete, we can see how it is used to create intricate patterns and designs of light that would otherwise be impossible (or extremely difficult) to create using concrete. We can also see how silhouettes are transmitted through the concrete blocks, as if by magic.

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This image is the exterior of the Italian Pavilion, created for the Expo Shanghai in 2010. It was the first building ever created using i.light from the Italcementi Group. More than 3,700 panels of concrete were used in the project, and they cover 1,887 square meters (20,311 square feet). As the exterior lighting changes throughout the day, the building takes on different tones and shapes for a dramatic effect.

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The following images are some other beautiful projects that use the translucent concrete technology including storefronts, light fixtures, and even a bar.