In the past few years, concrete has become increasingly popular as a finishing product. Whether it’s for floors, kitchen counters, sinks or other architectural pieces, concrete is now being used in innovative new ways.
When polished, marbled or associated with colours like night blue or turquoise, deep or bright red, apple green, or even other materials like stainless steel and glass, concrete creates a fabulous contemporary look. Because of its rugged characteristics, it can easily be paired with different types of wood to create a rustic, authentic-style decor.
With concrete, the possibilities are nearly endless: it can be moulded into different shapes, printed on for more texture, or dyed to add a punch of colour. Solid Poetry, an invention by Studio Molen, is concrete that takes on a new life when it comes into contact with water.
Why the name Solid Poetry? During a walk through the city, German designer Susanne Happle noticed the imprints left by some leaves blown off a damp pavement. This led her to imagine a concrete that reacted to water and revealed nature-inspired patterns. She shared this thought with Frederick Molenschot from Studio Molen, a colleague who, like her, was attending the Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands. He immediately loved the idea and the two designers began working together to create the material for Solid Poetry.
How does it work? Solid Poetry is considered a “smart material”. Smart materials have strong reactive properties when exposed to stimuli controlled by new technologies. For example, temperature, a pH variant in the material, electricity, magnetic fields, or, in this case, humidity. Their brilliant idea will soon be hitting the market, which is good news for those looking for originality. We’ll just have to wait and see what patterns emerge.
Eco Inspirations by RONAMAG on Sunday, April 8, 2012
Kitchen by Josette Buisson on Sunday, February 19, 2012
Found on the web by RONAMAG on Sunday, February 12, 2012
