Apr 15 2004
Some of the world’s most beautiful and innovative works of contemporary architecture derive their character from one of the world’s most common materials — concrete. Liquid Stone: New Architecture in Concrete, a major exhibition organized by the National Building Museum in Washington DC, will present nearly 30 very recent or current architectural projects that use concrete in exciting ways. Complementing the examination of these architectural achievements will be a variety of stations describing the technology of concrete that makes them possible. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about concrete’s fascinating scientific properties, unusual finishing techniques, and advanced hybrid versions of the material. The exhibition will be in first-floor galleries, and will be on view from June 19, 2004 to January 23, 2005.
Liquid Stone: New Architecture in Concrete is sponsored exclusively by Lafarge, the world leader in building materials.
The exhibition includes a section called “The Future of Concrete,” which will examine concrete technologies and hybrids that are just now on the horizon. For example, self-reinforcing concrete, which so far has been used in only a small number of structures of significant size, will facilitate the creation of long-span concrete shells of incredible thinness. Perhaps most amazing of all is the prospect of translucent concrete, now under development by several researchers in the United States and Europe. Imagine walls that offer the security, strength, and fire protection of concrete block, but that also transmit light. The prospects for innovative new works of architecture using such a material stretch the mind.
Source: National Building Museum