Graphic Concrete

Our exposed paper can be used in multiple ways—by combining it with patterned paper and extending the exposed surface. 💫

Niittykumpu Daycare & Residential Building is a great example of how exposed paper can be applied wisely to achieve the same high-quality concrete surface with beautifully revealed aggregates. The paper attachments on the concrete surface are almost invisible unless pointed out—demonstrating both precision and craftsmanship.

And as a delightful finishing touch, don’t miss the adorable animal features! 🐸 🐻 🦔

prefabrication concretepattern concretesurfacesolution patternconcrete betoni architecturalprecast concretedesign photoconcrete concretearchitecture gcexpose niittykumppu niittykummunpäiväkoti

At Albert Edelfelt School in Porvoo, art is integrated into the architecture and everyday environment of the building. The facades feature four artworks by Albert Edelfelt executed in Graphic Concrete.

The school was completed in 2008, and it is always interesting to revisit projects years later. The surface lives with light, weather and the seasons, but the images remain clearly visible as part of the concrete surface itself.

Architecture: Eduarch
Developer:
Precast elements: Betoniluoma Oy
Porvoo, Finland, 2008

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Porvoossa sijaitsevassa Albert Edelfeltin koulussa taide on osa rakennuksen arkkitehtuuria ja arkea. Julkisivuissa on neljä Albert Edelfeltin teosta toteutettuna graafisella betonilla.

Koulu on valmistunut vuonna 2008, ja on aina kiinnostavaa palata kohteisiin vuosien jälkeen. Pinta elää valon, sään ja vuodenaikojen mukana, m***a kuvat ovat edelleen selkeitä ja osa rakennuksen ilmettä – osana itse betonipintaa.

Arkkitehtuuri: Eduarch
Rakennuttaja: NCC Rakennus
Elementit: Betoniluoma Oy
Porvoo, 2008

Espoon Marinranta esillä Betoni-lehdessä graafisen betonin pintojen kera! 🔥

Marinranta on osa Kivenlahden merellistä ja uudistuvaa asuinaluetta, jossa arkkitehtuuri, maisema ja materiaalit kohtaavat hienolla tavalla.

Rakennusten ja infran graafisen betonin luontoteemaiset kuviopinnat elävöittävät kokonaisuutta ja näyttävät, miten betoni voi olla paljon enemmän kuin rakennusmateriaali – pintojen avulla voi kertoa tarinaa.

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Espoo’s Marinranta featured in Betoni magazine with Graphic Concrete surfaces! 🔥

Marinranta is part of Kivenlahti’s renewing seaside residential area, where architecture, landscape, and materials come together beautifully.

The nature-inspired Graphic Concrete surfaces used in the buildings and infrastructure bring rhythm and character to the whole, showing how concrete can be much more than a building material – it can also become a storytelling surface.

Our new newsletter is out!
We’re sharing practical insights on how to work with color in concrete. From cement and aggregates to pigments and surface treatment, many factors influence the final result.
While the possibilities are endless, one best practice is to keep it simple and work with the natural color of concrete.

https://graphicconcrete.com/the-best-practices-with-concrete-and-color

🌸 Hello, Spring! 🌸

Winter was magical with its crisp air and sparkling snow ❄️, but we’ve been waiting for the spring with longer days, birds singing in the morning, and tiny sprouts popping up everywhere 🌱. Flowers are blooming, and the world feels full of life!

Some of our graphic concrete projects capture this spring energy beautifully.

✨ In the Dresden Center for Nanoanalytics, poppies on the building façade bloom in graphic concrete. Inspired by a microscope, some flowers are sharp, some blurred, creating a playful and delicate scene.

🌿 UPOPOY National Ainu Museum and Park’s entrance walls are filled with natural figures, bringing to mind the fresh scent of flowers, an early morning in the forest, or a peaceful moment by a quiet lake.

🌼 Right in the city center in Paris, Les Jardins Botaniques has a little spring escape. Different flowers and plants make you pause, breathe, and feel refreshed.

Imagine being in a quiet forest 🌳… every sound feels louder, the crack of a branch, a flock of birds taking flight, and suddenly, everything comes alive. That’s the feeling of spring, and it’s exactly what we love to bring to life in our projects.

https://graphicconcrete.com/dresden-center

https://graphicconcrete.com/upopoy-national-ainu-museum-and-park

https://graphicconcrete.com/les-jardins-botanniques

https://graphicconcrete.com/espoo-elegia-residential-building

Sovituksenkirkko (The Church of Reconciliation)
Hollola, Finland

Graphic Concrete is used in the interior walls of the church, forming part of the architectural whole. The surface carries symbolism and narrative – almost like a woven tapestry in concrete.

Architecture: Arkkitehtitoimisto Havas Rosberg
Main designer: Architect Sauli Havas
Wall design: Prof. Tapani Aartomaa & Architect Sauli Havas
Symbol specialist: Prof. Vesa Nikunen
Year: 2010

”A performance as strong as concrete!“

We find a wall-sized art piece called “Joukko”, produced with Graphic Concrete, in the home of the world champion, Matti Heikkinen. “Joukko” means group in Finnish. This family home was built in 2014 in Jyväskylä, Finland, by Architect Sami Heikkinen, who is Matti Heikkinen’s brother. The starting point for the design was the carefree living of a family with children, with durability and adaptability to different life situations in mind. The matter moved forward when Heikkinen‘s brother, Architect Sami Heikkinen, found the visual artist Tatu Tuominen, who designed the artwork.

Tuominen wanted to showcase a more social side of this sport that usually highlights individual performance. He describes: “Sport brings people together and offers meaning to life - to world champions as well as to enthusiastic laymen. Skiing alone in the winter forest is wonderful, but in addition to the skiing itself, there is much more that the sport has to offer - friendship, emotions and a whole culture.”

Art meets Graphic Concrete 🎉

In construction projects, it is common to allocate a certain portion of the budget to art. However, incorporating artistic elements within limited resources can be challenging. Fortunately, there are always alternatives. We want our customers not only to see Graphic Concrete as an alternative, but as a strong aesthetic, cost-efficient, and sustainable solution that contributes meaningfully to the success of their projects. In this newsletter, we share selected project stories that showcase a harmonious blend of art, technology, and fine-tuned craftsmanship. In each case, the patterns were created by artists inspired by the masters they admire—transforming buildings into unique, expressive, and interactive architectural features. Let’s explore the stories.

🔗https://graphicconcrete.com/art-meets-graphic-concrete