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Concept
Béton brut
Summary
Béton brut (betɔ̃ bʁyt) is architectural concrete that is left unfinished after being cast, displaying the patterns and seams imprinted on it by the formwork. Béton brut is not a material itself, but rather way of using concrete. The term comes from French and means "raw concrete".
The use of béton brut was pioneered by modernist architects such as Auguste Perret and Le Corbusier. Le Corbusier coined the term béton brut during the construction of Unité d'Habitation in Marseille, France built in 1952. The term began to spread widely after the British architectural critic Reyner Banham associated it with Brutalism in his 1966 book, The New Brutalism: Ethic or Aesthetic?, which characterized a recent cluster of new architectural designs, particularly in Europe.
Béton brut became popular among modern architects, leading to the appreciation of the brutalist architecture style, which thrived in the 1950s–1970s. Brutalism stems from the philosophies of modern architecture that promote the truth to materials, which is achieved by their raw expression. The essence of the philosophy is seen in the imperfections of béton brut which stem from the idea to create an aesthetic based on the exposure of a building's components, including the frame, sheathing, and mechanical systems. The result is the visibility of the imprinted seams and construction methods of the formwork used to mold the concrete. This style of concrete is a part of structural expressionism, which emerged as steel structures became more advanced and viable.
After being cast, concrete will usually have a finishing treatment that smooths its surface, ridding it of any imperfections. In the case of béton brut, the concrete is left unfinished, expressing the pattern left by the formwork. Formwork is used in concrete construction as the frame for a structure in which fresh concrete is poured to then harden and take on the desired shape. Aesthetic of concrete surfaces can be varied with different formwork sheathing (e.g. board shuttering, smooth formwork, form liner, form moulds, filter fleeces).
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