Heritage values: Integration of the Arts
Heritage Architecture and Urbanism
Integration of the Arts
Concrete, as a ductile material, allows for new ways of artistic expression on a previously unknown scale. Its versatility in creating forms stands out when compared with other materials to a point that a whole building could resemble a sculpture, or a huge sculpture can be inhabited as a building. Elements that play a mere functional role can easily incorporate decorative details, and artists can collaborate with architects and engineers to create works that integrate expressivity and functionality, increasing its value and social recognition.
The need for a mold to build it was used from the beginning to incorporate textures in concrete, as a negative print. Moreover, the infinite possibilities in the composition of the material itself, using different aggregates in size, texture and color and the finishing textures that it allows -from shinny marmoreal to vast and rough- makes concrete a really versatile material in its expressiveness. This was exploited by architects to “design” specific concretes that fulfilled the desired expressivity of their buildings.