Flowing Clarity: The Plain Aesthetics and Material Philosophy of Concrete

Simplicity hides profound essence beneath its plain appearance. Cement, this humble yet age-old material, spreads across every corner of the globe. Reviewing the century-long evolution of architectural design, cement stands unrivaled as the core material most widely adopted by architects worldwide. Its history dates back to construction practices in ancient Rome. Having endured over two thousand years of vicissitudes, it still remains vital and influential to this day.

Amid the vigorous advancement of modernization, cement has become an inevitable choice for social progress. Boasting outstanding comprehensive properties, it has been universally applied and established itself as an indispensable foundational material for urban development. Yet dwelling in cities built of steel and concrete, people have always held mixed affections toward this cold industrial material.

Once people’s material needs are satisfied, they inevitably seek spiritual sustenance. For this reason, plain cement has been infused with humanistic poetry, evolving into a spiritual symbol of avant-garde architecture and constantly broadening the aesthetic boundaries of modern construction. Even so, its innate plain and genuine material character has never changed.

From the perspective of BENTU, cement is both a man-made creation and an extension of nature. How can we bridge it with human emotions and connect it closely with nature? The supreme realm of cement craftsmanship lies in fair-faced concrete, which also represents the ultimate form of natural aesthetics. It allows cement to flow freely like running water and solidify into innate natural artistic charm. This pursuit poses an extreme test for craftsmanship, and it is also the persistent research direction that BENTU has always adhered to.

Cement is reputed as "liquid stone". Endowed with superb plasticity and diverse formative possibilities, it can shape unique structural forms and stable strength hardly achievable by other materials, fully satisfying designers’ pursuit of ultimate details. Cement has long secured an irreplaceable dominant position in the architectural field, while it still remains an emerging material not yet fully popularized in product design. Nevertheless, we firmly believe that its inherent strengths as a core building material can also empower product creation. It is cost-effective and low-carbon, far more eco-friendly than plastic and metal; its excellent plasticity enables diversified irregular shapes and varied surface textures via customized molds; finished concrete features stable structure and long service life. Moreover, its exclusive texture and tactile charm form an irreplicable visual language unmatched by other substances.

Rooted in indigenous Chinese culture and integrating local context with global vision, BENTU reinterprets fair-faced concrete, this time-honored classic material. We devote ourselves to the research and development of cement-based composites with construction waste and industrial solid waste, explore infinite possibilities of free geometric forms, and uphold the natural presentation of authentic material textures. We strive to infuse this understated beauty into more daily life scenarios, establish standardized craft systems and realize aesthetic-oriented mass production — this constitutes the enduring mission of BENTU.

Although the application of fair-faced concrete in product design has a relatively short history, it has exerted far-reaching influence on contemporary design creation. Designers must follow its inherent expressive characteristics and abide by high-standard casting specifications to maximize its formative advantages and expand its application scope. When fair-faced concrete steps down from architectural facades and enters daily utensils, it carries brand-new artistic conception and interprets fresh life narratives.

Equally malleable as conventional materials, fair-faced concrete delivers a solid sense of volume and serene texture that plastic and timber can never emulate. The public is already familiar with concrete urban architectures, so concrete household goods bring fresh visual experience while lowering public aesthetic acceptance barriers based on existing cognition. Capable of calming inner restlessness and bringing steady spiritual security, this material boasts broad development prospects within product design.

The most ordinary yet touching charm of fair-faced concrete lies in its inherent gray tone. Gray embodies ultimate minimalism: inclusive of all things yet never ostentatious; it also contains boundless profundity, refined by blending diverse hues into such sophisticated and understated elegance. As the most inclusive color tone, gray reconciles all visual conflicts and serves as the most soothing emotional anchor. In color aesthetics, gray is a mild and introverted neutral shade that derives unique charm by integrating with surrounding environments. Reserved and tranquil by nature, it is free from the oppression of black and the cold emptiness of white. The gray tone of fair-faced concrete externalizes inner spiritual perception and condenses profound aesthetic philosophy.

Fair-faced concrete requires extremely strict control over raw material proportion and crafting standards. Mixing, pouring and formwork setting must be completed in one integral process. Such rigorous craftsmanship fosters an aesthetic state that returns to original simplicity. Even seasoned artisans cannot precisely foresee the final texture before formwork removal. When applied from large-scale architectures to miniature daily products, its delicate textures are fully magnified and become distinctive design highlights. Matte gray luster and natural air holes mark its exclusive identity; the contrast between smooth fineness and rustic roughness showcases its innate formative talent, continuously fueling innovative ideas in product design.

Air holes and natural textures were once labeled as "concrete defects" in the industry. In fact, they are inherent natural traits of concrete. Air blends into raw materials during pouring and forms varied hole textures after demolding. Such natural formations are far superior to artificial embellishment. Natural simplicity is the original state of materials, yet people often put the cart before the horse, adding excessive chemical additives to erase air holes and modify natural textures. Once deprived of innate features, fair-faced concrete turns into cold artificial imitations and loses its original spiritual charm.

BENTU focuses on exploring overlooked innate material traits and interprets the primitive beauty of natural air holes and textures. Scattered natural textures spread evenly on gray surfaces, presenting a vivid sense of natural vitality. Rugged textures carry unrestrained spiritual power. All finished products go through identical casting procedures yet gain exclusive features: air bubbles surge, settle and finally solidify inside molds, leaving permanent unique life marks that endow each ware with exclusive identity. Such vitality-filled aesthetic charm is eventually unveiled and shines with genuine splendor.

The more people pursue ultimate beauty, the easier they fall into the misunderstanding of excessive carving and artificial modification. In the pursuit of aesthetic perfection, we ought to stay sober-minded: the inborn natural attributes of materials should never be abandoned. Restoring every material to its original state and retaining its exclusive texture characteristics is the core aesthetic essence of contemporary design. BENTU always upholds the creative principle of adhering to nature and purity, endowing every work with irreplicable individuality and vivid vitality.

With sand and stone as aggregates and cement as binding base, fair-faced concrete presents countless diversified forms through adjusted proportions, varied casting techniques and distinct design concepts. Designers can freely switch between fine and rough textures by adjusting material ratios. During pouring, mold fineness directly determines the final presentation: rough molds create rustic and wild textures, while refined molds present pure and elegant appearances. Its tone and texture are both simple and rich, minimalist and diverse — crafted half by human ingenuity and half endowed by nature.

The application of fair-faced concrete in daily product design calls for full utilization of its stable structure and superb moldability, as well as sincere respect for its original surface texture. Its cross-domain shift from grand architectural exteriors to daily necessities shortens the distance between humans and materials and amplifies the unique emotional connotation of concrete. Thus fair-faced concrete gains brand-new definition in product design. Based on its own texture, it interacts with other materials, integrates with spatial atmosphere and echoes layered tactile senses, perfectly interpreting product temperament and design core ideas. Such creative concepts break public stereotypes of concrete and diversify its practical application methods.

Every material possesses unique spiritual connotation and inherent advantages. The craft exploration and innovative application of fair-faced concrete never cease, while it still faces practical challenges: how to establish standardized design languages and balance aesthetic expression with mass production while retaining its original expressive power? BENTU delves into diverse life scenarios, promotes R&D on recycled industrial solid waste, conducts continuous product and spatial experiments, explores natural material expressive power and refines every casting craft detail. We unlock more potential of fair-faced concrete through repeated trials, keep intact its inherent features and restore the beauty of original textures. The persistent pursuit of natural simplicity reflects designers’ in-depth observation and rational thinking toward the world. BENTU’s comprehension and restoration of fair-faced concrete’s natural aesthetics not only advocates a free lifestyle in modern society, but also reminds people to retain a pure original heart and treat life and all things with sincerity.

The thorough interpretation of material authenticity embodied by fair-faced concrete reflects the philosophical wisdom of conforming to nature and following the inherent laws of all things. It manifests the purity of original mind and the preciousness of innate nature, which stands for the supreme realm of aesthetics: taking sincerity as beauty and highlighting the authentic essence of life.

Fair-faced concrete represents an endless creative journey that touches people’s hearts deeply. It flows freely in its own way — flowing in simple forms, pure and unadorned.

Author: Xu Gang

This original article belongs to the BENTU Material Aesthetics Speculative Series, discussing the cross-field application, textural aesthetics and cultural connotation of fair-faced concrete from architecture to product design.