Awarded for museum: Colored Concrete gives the perfect look
French architect Rudy Ricciotti has won the Colored Concrete Works Award 2017. LANXESS has been presenting this award since 2012 to architects who use colored concrete in their work. Riccioti (54) received this honor for his “Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée” (MuCEM) building project for one of the world’s most popular and France’s most spectacular museums. The building in Marseille in southern France is constructed from a total of 1,100 cubic meters of concrete – in the form of prefabricated concrete slabs – and 250 cubic meters of in-situ concrete. The dark-gray color tone was provided in particular by the LANXESS pigments Bayferrox 330 and Bayferrox 318.
A building with character
The judges were impressed by both the functionality and the choice of colors. The airy, mesh-like concrete structure enveloping the MuCEM is open to the Provençal sun, creating unique light effects. Ricciotti deliberately chose black concrete as the building material. Situated on the outer tip of the Old Port, in the cultural and historical center of Marseille, the MuCEM with its dark color is an attractive contrast to the beige of the historical Fort Saint Jean. In this historically significant location, Ricciotti’s building draws its own identity from the textbook squareness of the plot and the horizontal profile.
Outstanding weather stability
It was important to the architect that his distinctive building stood out from its surroundings without competing with the fort. At the same time, he wanted to make sure that its appearance and surface texture remained flawless in the long term, despite weather influences such as the moist, salty ocean air.
That would not have been possible with just a coat of paint. Riccioti therefore decided to integrally color the concrete with Bayferrox 330 and Bayferrox 318 pigments from LANXESS. On account of their excellent light stability and weather resistance, these color pigments last just as long as the concrete, i.e. at least 100 years. Made of ultra-high-strength concrete, the web-like structure shows how airy lightness and solid permanence can be perfectly united.
Symbiosis between the traditional and modern
In addition, it was important to Ricciotti that all the prefabricated slabs and 384 panels were produced and prepared near the construction site as this minimized environmental impact by keeping distances short. Employing local processors and specialists also enhances the identification of local residents with the building.
“The ‘Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée’ therefore stands as a symbol of the symbiosis between the traditional and modern. At the same time, it unites aesthetics with functionality,” remarks Jörg Hellwig, head of the Inorganic Pigments business unit. “Through our Colored Concrete Works initiative, we want to honor unique works of architecture like this, while underlining the importance of colored concrete.”
Architect and engineer Rudy Ricciotti has received numerous awards for his work, including the “Grand Prix national de l’Architecture” in 2006. He achieved international standing through his work as architect on significant projects, such as the National Choreographic Center in Aix-en-Provence, the “Potsdamer Nikolaisaal” concert auditorium, the Footbridge of Peace in Seoul and the International Center of Art and Culture in Liège.
Colored Concrete Works – practical examples of color design for modern buildings
LANXESS is the world’s largest manufacturer of iron oxide pigments and a leading producer of chrome oxide pigments. They have been used successfully for decades in a wide range of applications to color construction materials, paints and coatings, as well as plastics and paper.
Go to www.colored-concrete-works.com to download case studies in various languages or order the print issues.
