Concrete in Interiors. Case Studies from the Masters of American Modernism

Concrete in interiors. case studies from the masters of american modernism

M. Teresa Feraboli (ICOMOS Italia)

In this lesson we address the aesthetic potential of concrete in interiors, taking as examples some emblematic works by two masters of American modernism: Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Kahn. Considering that the qualities of the "artificial stone of the 20th century” lies not only in its mechanical properties, but also in its visual and tactile qualities, attention is brought on the different types of surfaces achievable – smooth and shiny, rough and grainy, coloured, with bas-reliefs or high reliefs – and, also, on the possibility to incorporate in it various materials such as glass and stone. This makes concrete not only fundamental for structural design, but as an integral part of an interior design project, whether for houses, offices, factories, museums, warehouses or headquarters.

From the 1910s onwards, F.L. Wright used moulded concrete blocks with abstract designs as ornaments applied to the structure, but it is from the 1920s that he started joining decorative principle and structure in a construction system, called Textile block system. Wright's patented blocks were square and rectangular, cast in wooden or metal moulds and mounted on a warp of steel rods, creating a sort of weft. The use of this system generates new qualities for interiors, permeated by a changing light and chiaroscuro effects and, thanks to the addition of local aggregates, enabled to dialogue with the natural environment. The monolithic nature of concrete, broken up in Wright's Textile block system, is protagonist of Louis Kahn's interiors. A selection of emblematic works for civic institutions shows how Kahn reclaims the visual power and monumentality of wall masses with the exposed concrete surface, sometimes deeply marked by the formwork veins, some other so smooth to the point of being reflective, and successfully combined with stone materials, such as travertine or white marble, which contribute to enhance its visual qualities.