Light and Massive

As strong as a rock, the Foro Boca rises above the sea on the Gulf of Mexico. With their rough-cast exposed concrete facades, the angular volumes of this new concert hall by Rojkind Architects resemble a huge group of boulders. The contrast to the James Simon Galerie in Berlin could scarcely be greater. For this new point of access to the Museum Island, David Chipperfield Architects Berlin designed a filigree concrete colonnade that asserts itself as a light and airy viewing platform over the River Spree, opening up new perspectives to the urban surroundings. The slender columns were constructed as precast concrete elements with white marble ­aggregate. The architects deliberately adopted the motif of the colonnade as a reference to the historical museum architecture nearby, translating it into a contemporary form that also avails itself of present-day production methods. 

In the June edition of DETAIL, we have compiled a number of examples of modern developments that demonstrate the diversity of concrete. Just as varied as the individual buildings portrayed here – whether rough or smooth, light or powerful – are the details and the forms of construction using this material.

Sandra Hofmeister