A world away from the first moulded blocks used by Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the earliest architects to experiment with this technique when building vast Californian villas at the beginning of the 20th century, concrete has taken on a new life over the last few years.
Long treated as a raw material mainly suited to the construction of very large buildings, it’s now earning a reputation for excellence thanks to talented designers and the limitless experimental energies of craftspeople. Like sandstone or porcelain, concrete is all about how it is made up and what is done to it. A living matter that shifts from a mineral to a liquid state before taking on a solid form, concrete gives each of the objects created from its very own look and personality.
Very far removed from firms with centuries of history, those involved in concrete’s reinvention, including artisans from Silians*, are young start-ups passionate about local production, using the latest tech tools to ensure continual innovation and satisfy the boundless creative appetite of designers. Urban and private furniture, lights and objects like «Socle», concrete comes now in many guises with various and subtle colors and finishings. Created by craftspeople from SILIANS from their eco-friendly concrete, the Socle designed by LABEL Famille for Designerbox bears witness to the latest technical advances in this material with its character very close to natural stone. The material is worked with finesse, precision and fexibility.
*100% made in France, Silians’ concrete is eco-friendly, aiming for zero-waste in terms of production and boasting all-French supply systems.
