The privileging of form is deeply embedded into your working practices, and material is rarely examined beyond its aesthetic or technological capacities to act as a servant to form.”
(Thomas, 2007)

Why Concrete? Concrete answer? For my dissertation this year I have chosen the topic ‘’Concrete Technology.”
Concrete has been a subject and the centre of attention in architecture, construction and the press. For many years we have seen its bad press and how people would criticise this material in many ways. On the other hand, many have loved and treasured the natural and earthy appearance. Concrete has a significant impact on our society and helped us shape the way we think about architecture and the construction of a building.

Through this phasing, concrete as suffered several changes which made this material adaptable up to this current stage. With the growth and shift of new technology, concrete continues adapting and changing whit it.
Currently, concrete is entering a different and new phase of 3D printing with the influence of new technology it is bringing a shift in the way we use this material in architecture.

However, to understand this shift of the new technology and its importance, we must see and analyze a case study where the old/ technology evolved and changed the way we use concrete to a more effective way.

The Southbank Centre is an excellent example of this shift in technology and to understand how it worked back then. Its logistics, the calculations necessary to achieve the precision and detail using the tools and building on site. As well as the material, we must think about the other parts involved in the construction such as the architects, contractors, builders.

Through this process, I am hoping to answer and get an understanding of the following points: