Architectural white concrete: a treat for the eye

Many buildings in white concrete give the boulevard a bright and uniform aesthetic. In addition, the white buildings provide safety and security, reflect sunlight and provide an illuminated background on dark days.

Text and image | Aalborg Portland

For example, in buildings like the Cool Tower, the use of white concrete has created a bright and robust yet very elegant whole: comfortably strong and durable and even cooling on hot days. A huge contrast to earlier times...

"On the spot where the relics of reconstruction define the streetscape - a variety of architecture and buildings, surrounded by shipping lanes - Rotterdam's skyline is being enriched with the Cooltoren," the architect writes. "A 150-meter-high residential tower with a striking and functionally relevant silhouette; its center of gravity is in the middle. Through the placement of the balconies and the use of panoramic band windows, the horizontal stacking of the 50 residential floors progresses from airy on the street to heavy in the middle and ends airy again in the clouds."

The entrance to the Cool Tower is constructed entirely of natural stone. Part of the facade is made of white concrete with special detailing. Architectural concrete from Aalborg Portland was chosen.

The benefits of architectural concrete

Architectural decorative concrete for the façade is a possibility often explored. Not only because the concrete can be produced on site, but especially because of the time savings, gain in weight (UHPC), limited site space, et cetera. Moreover, architectural exposed concrete represents a set of elements which, through their design, finish, color, texture and high quality, make an essential contribution to the architecture of a facade. It is an inexhaustible source of expression for the facade and can be combined with a variety of styles and materials. Architectural concrete is thus excellent for adding decorative elements to a structure.

Hoco Concrete specializes in producing precast concrete elements of high aesthetic quality. The possibilities in this are very wide. Facade elements are available in various designs, such as colored, textured, with stone strips or of course as plain smooth concrete. In this, the concrete itself plays an important role. Hoco Beton is constantly working to optimize the composition of self-compacting concrete, in which both the constructive and aesthetic quality play a role.

Facade elements

Architectural concrete can be thought of as load-bearing façade elements or non-load-bearing curtain walls; single-shell elements that contribute to the appearance of the structure as a visual element. Aalborg Portland likes to think along in solutions for your architectural challenge.

People choose white concrete because it allows every color option and produces consistent, high-quality results. Colors are more vibrant and pronounced with a white base, which contributes to sharper contrast. The most even and colorfast gray concrete, for example, is often made with a white cement base. In the Cool Tower, all elements manufactured with Aalborg White cement. The chemistry and purity of white cement as well as the superior mechanical properties achievable in concrete thanks to advanced production technologies make the material well suited for this type of finish.   

Construction Info

Client: The Five Lords B.V.

Design: V8 Architects

Contractor: Ballast Nedam Construction

Prefab: Hoco Concrete

Cement: Aalborg White

Winner 'Most striking real estate project Rotterdam 2018'