Look Inside a Visual Encyclopedia of Contemporary Concrete Buildings

Concrete structures have long been associated with the brutalist architecture movement coined by Le Corbusier in the 50s through the 70s. The raw concrete buildings of that era were heavy and imposing, indoctrinating even. Today, iconic and living architects Zaha Hadid, Herzog & de Meuron, and Steven Holl have inspired new building forms using cement as an anchoring design element. These contemporary buildings are seemingly light and reflective of their environments.

In Taschen’s two-volume book, 100 Contemporary Concrete Buildings, the “liquid stone” is celebrated in modern architecture around the world. The material is “malleable, durable, and capable of prodigiousfeats of engineering.”

From BNKR‘s Sunset Chapel in Acapulco, Mexico to Reiulf Ramstad Architects’ Nordic Tourist Route in Norway, these architects punctuate landscapes with their shapely buildings, forging a new identity in concrete. 

BNKR, Sunset Chapel

Zaha Hadid, Pierresvives

Chiaki Arai, Niigata City Konan Ward Cultural Center

See more examples of Taschen’s 100 Contemporary Concrete Buildings here. 

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