Grey, cold and boring? Maybe once upon a time. The image of concrete has undergone a fundamental change. It is no longer the stuff of 1970s building “sins” but rather a creative building material. While “concrete jungle” is still not considered a compliment, today, robust concrete is deemed to be honest and authentic. Above all, it is a material which allows architects and designers a lot of freedom. It is not a coincidence that concrete is the most popular building material in the world. The mixture of sand, gravel, cement and water is very durable and very versatile. In its liquid state it can be molded into any number of shapes. Pre-fabricated concrete components can be slotted together on site much like putting a Lego® together. Even the energy consumption for cement production is exemplary – for one ton of concrete you need 170 to 220 kilowatt-hours, glass needs 4200, steel 5800 and aluminium need 45,500 kilowatthours. A home builder needs just 35 cubic meters of concrete to construct his domicile.