REFASHIONING CONCRETE Material, Design & Creation by Bentu
XU GANG
Creativity without boundaries
In China at this moment, there is a strong desire and demand for
creativity, though at the same time, it is a practice shrouded in mystery and confusion.
On the one hand, creativity is work that consciously explores the
world. Its core action consists of establishing, breaking through, or paving a new path. And the result is something new: a fresh combination of existing elements, new standards for old rules,
discoveries of new objects, or new frameworks for old concepts. China today is in a process of creativity.
On the other hand, creativity does not come at the drop of a hat, it accumulates over time with education, nurture and practice.
Within this structure, the most difficult aspects for creativity to
overcome are not techniques, because they can be learned and devised; nor concepts, these can be borrowed and observed. The greatest barrier to creativity often comes from the value
orientations of any given society. It is difficult to propose new ideas in a society that has grown used to listening to outdated information. For this reason, creativity is often overlooked,
marginalised or mocked, even destroyed – consciously or subconsciously.
In our experience, the difficulty was not only the lack of understanding and support from society at large, or the
loneliness experienced by lack of appreciation, but mostly fear of
embarking along an unfamiliar path. Although, if you take on the responsibilities and aspirations of creativity, then no matter how
helpless you feel, this fear that would push you to give up must be overcome. Of course, at the same time, we are also fortunate.
With the rapid pace of development in China at the moment, it
has become like an immense laboratory to be rediscovered,
organised and built. This is a moment in history that provokes new thoughts about the world and creativity.
Over the course of the creative process, Bentu has done a lot
of planning and hypothesis. Many ideas did not get past the
discussion stage, with the reason that the conditions were not feasible to realise them, or we underestimated our capabilities,
dwelling on our insignificance, laughing at our own weakness and
lack of importance. However, once we rolled up our sleeves and got our hands dirty, we understood that although the conditions
to realise our plans and hypotheses might not be ideal, in reality,
we would always find a solution and overcome these obstacles by being flexible with our ideas and through trial and error. It was
through the process of problem-solving that we matured and gained the gratification of challenging our ultimate limits. We
realised that on this once-in-a-lifetime journey, there was a risk that we might fail, but that taking action was more important.
Creativity aims to solve problems, but not only this, it can also provide new tools for thinking: What can this world be? What do we want? And, more importantly, it can tell us what we do not want. For Bentu, the primary motivation for sustainable
creativity is not rooted in the designer’s inspirations and ideas,
but a concern for human society, a belief in the correct values, and an uncompromising attitude towards issues of principle
and perseverance in extremely difficult circumstances. In the course of creativity, we ask ourselves whether there are other
approaches we have not tested? If I were an enduser, what other
demands might I have? Why am I making this? When a path comes to an end, and I decide to give up, what can others learn from the efforts and mistakes I have made?
Bentu returns to its fundamental practices, paying attention to
people’s well-being and development, and the cultural traditions,
aesthetic tastes, lifestyles, craftsmanship and cultural heritage that are relevant to people; these inform us on what to do, but,
more importantly, on what not to do. In our view, nothing existing in this world should be differentiated in its value: a stone, a leaf,
and a human life are equal, neither one is more noble, or inferior
than the other, growing and declining, relying on each for survival;
boundaries are insignificant, and so are the divisions of religion, culture, region and race.
In our view, there is no end to creativity. Continuing along this road,
Bentu starts from the supposition that “once there was nothing” and then, with a curiosity and an attentive ear, we take the initiative
to explore the unknown and the various possibilities in the field of materials… and strive always to be the experimental explorers. Bentu is the world in which creativity has no boundaries. — Bentu
Wave wall tiles, 2016
Concrete, recycled waste, recycled offcuts of ceramic tiles
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Wave side table series, 2016
Concrete, recycled waste, recycled ceramic tile offcuts, steel
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The popularisation of fairfaced concrete
Simple things are hidden within simplicity. In the process of promoting world integration, there is an important material – cement – a simple and ancient material that can be found in all corners of the globe.
Over the past 100 years, if you were to look for a material that
was commonly used by architects, then it would undoubtedly
be cement! This material can be traced back to the buildings in ancient Rome; over the course of 2,000 years, this material has assumed new roles.
A s an important medium in the process of popularising modernisation, it is only natural to choose cement. It is a simple
choice, as humanity needs the right materials for survival. However, though the properties of cement have made it popular
around the world, people living in reinforced concrete buildings often hate it.
In Bentu’ s eyes, cement is as natural as it is artificial. So, the
question is, how to connect it with our emotions, and with nature? The highest process of cement is fair-faced. It is a challenge to let cement flow like water and to exhibit its natural aesthetic.
Cement is thought of as “liquid stone”. It is known for its great
plasticity and variety. It can achieve different forms and strengths
that other materials cannot, and it can meet the designer’ s requirements for great detail. Its unique and high-quality features have established its reputation and long-standing position in architectural applications.
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In the field of product design, cement is still considered a new
type of material and is not widely used. Humans have yet to find a cheaper synthetic material to replace cement. Instead, modern
technology and craftsmanship have developed so that cement
has lost its thick and rough appearance, unexpectedly manifesting in different fields and on a different scale, which has had a pivotal
impact on practical applications. With the further development
of material science and contemporary aesthetics, it is no longer the old cement, that rough proprietary material for building
construction; it is taking on a new look – fair-faced concrete – and gradually entering design fields.
The characteristics of fair-faced concrete are suited to product
design: in financial terms, it is a relatively low-cost and easily accessible material; in environmental terms, it is more energy-
efficient than either plastic or metal. In terms of material properties, fair-faced concrete has excellent plasticity and can be moulded into various shapes and surface textures. It has good
stability after moulding and the product is durable. In terms of design aesthetics, the unique texture and subtleties of the surface of fair-faced concrete create visual experiences that other materials cannot simulate.
It has become Bentu’ s unremitting mission to develop and experiment with the use of environmental waste combined
with cement materials, to explore free geometric forms, and to standardise and mass produce it in the same way as other
materials, and to maximise the opportunities provided by the
beauty of fair-faced concrete. Although the application of fair-
faced concrete in product design is a recent development, its emergence has had an incalculable impact on future product
design. Bentu believes that product design should not only follow the expression of the product and the aesthetics of the fair-
faced concrete, but also maintain a high level of craftsmanship 112
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in production, making the most of its advantages in casting
and shaping. It should also expand the expressive form of the
material, so that fair-faced concrete can be applied to a wide
range of products. Fair-faced concrete used in product design has achieved far greater artistic conception than in architectural construction.
The plasticity of fair-faced concrete has an advantage over other
common materials. Not only can it fulfil the requirements of shape moulding, but it also expresses a sense of volume and
rigidity that plastic, wood and other materials do not. People are used to seeing concrete buildings, when they see home
supplies made of concrete, their first reaction is that this is a novelty. However, because concrete is a common building material for residences, people are familiar with it, so they are
able to accept concrete as a material for products. This sense of
security and trust in the material inevitably gives concrete great
developmental potential in product design. The most obvious, yet the most beautiful aspect of fair-faced concrete is its colour. This grey tone is inherent to fair-faced concrete. Grey is the simplest
colour, to the point that it wouldn’ t be a problem if the entire
world were wrapped in it; yet, grey is the most complex colour, its random beauty is only attained by mixing all the colours of the palette. Grey is a ubiquitous colour, and its appearance implies
the disappearance of all colour contrasts, thereby serving as the most stable resting point of vision.
Grey is passive in the system of colours. It is a neutral hue, that relies on adjacent colours to bring it to life. The grey-tones and
texture of fair-faced concrete exhibit a quiet, low-key and calm temperament. It is not as gloomy and heavy as black, nor is it
empty and cold like white. The grey tones of fair-faced concrete express an idea, a highly characterised aesthetic philosophy.
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ISBN: 978-1-78884-080-4
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