June 11, 2021

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 Translucent 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.

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.