Translucent Concrete

Concrete is traditionally thought of as a rather lifeless, heavy-duty building material; something to be covered in plaster and paint. Luccon are challenging the stereotype by giving this grey construction staple a makeover. The Austria-based company has developed translucent concrete, possibly one of the most innovative building materials created in recent years. Unlike other versions of light transmitting concrete that use acrylic rods, LUCCON Lightconcrete is comprised of fine-grained concrete and translucent fabric, which are cast layer-by-layer in prefabricated moulds and embedded with webbed fibre optic cables. The result is a compilation of flowing, natural lines captured within a strong panel. In fact, LUCCON Lightconcrete has the same strength and durability as conventional concrete, since the proportion of synthetic fibres to concrete is relatively low and as the fibres have a small diameter.

The visual effect of this translucent concrete is something quiet remarkable. Whether daylight or artificial light, white or coloured, the fibre optic cables carry light virtually without loss from one side of the concrete wall to the other. This impressive light conduction makes it possible to see light, shadows and even colours and pictures through the concrete. As the thickness of the concrete increases, so does the distortion of the image, producing fascinating visual results.

Luccon’s original translucent concrete has paved the way for several new and unique products. For product designers they have developed LUCCON Veneer; made out of the filigree side of translucent concrete, it promises to be invaluable in vehicle and yacht design. It can be manipulated into three-dimensional constructs and, like LUCCON Lightconcrete, still creates beautiful effects when paired with a backlight. LUCCOtherm integrates the original translucent concrete with heat insulation for use in external structural elements as building bricks or as large story high pieces. Luccon have even managed to combine concrete and glass with a special technique that results in shining, transparent stone-like surfaces for facades, stairs, floors, furniture and much more.

Rigorously tested to ensure suitability for the ocean environment, Luccon products would be an unusual and attractive design feature on any yacht, with LUCCON Lightconcrete having already been installed on a recent superyacht project with apparent success.

Related Links:
Luccon - company website

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