Construction workers may cry foul when they see all of these unconventional concrete creations. Concrete is used primarily as a building material, but designers have been re-purposing the tough stuff to create everything from electronics to wedding rings.
Using concrete to create everyday items may not make sense to a foreman, but it is a sensible strategy from a design standpoint. Concrete is tough, durable and eye-catching, all qualities found in good design. Making something like a memory stick or furniture out of concrete also extends its lifespan as concrete is virtually shatterproof and fireproof. If your only knowledge of concrete comes from buildings and city streets, then you definitely need to browse through at least a few of these unconventional concrete creations.
27 Unconventional Concrete Creations
27
Cement Sunglasses
These Concrete Glasses for the Concrete Show Make for Heavy Seeing
26
Sculpted Supercars
A BMW Z4 Model Created from Bricks Could Fetch $125,000
25
Stone Age Espresso Machines
Shmuel Linski's 'Espresso Solo' is Rock Solid
24
Faux Fabric Stools
Stitching Concrete is Designed to Be Deceptively Indestructible
23
Concrete Chaise Longues
Ricardo Garza Marcos' Rama Bench is Simple Yet Sturdy
22
Cement Jewelry
Beat Poet Concrete Rings Are Made of Reclaimed Components
21
Classy Concrete Accessories
Lauren Cummings' Geometric Jewelry is Architecturally-Inclined
20
Life-Sized LEGO Blocks
Tara Ketchum's Concrete LEGO Blocks are Solid
19
Cement Fabric
Concrete Cloth by Concrete Canvas is Named Material of the Year
18
Suggested Space Stem Holders
Weight Vases by Decha Archjananun Split Their Task in Two
17
Concrete PC Cases
The Concretronic Computer Case is a Construction-Quality PC Mod
16
Stone Age Speakers
The 'Exposed Concrete Speakers' Shows Shmuel Linski's Love of Raw Materials
15
Curvy Cement Couches
'Dune' by Rainer Mutsch is a Rock Solid Couch Collection
14
Depressed Footprint Door Mats
Stellvertreter Coat Racks Suggest Shoe Placement
13
Concrete Jewelry
Smersh Design
12
Indestructible Office Supplies
'Solid' from Magnus Pettersen is Built to Last
11
Giant Concrete Bears
Steelman Creates a Sky High Stuffy Teddy
10
Asphalt Accessories
The Molla Space Concrete Ring is Hardcore Fashion
9
Concrete USBs
The Memory Weights USB is Worth Its Weight in Data
8
Concrete Lamps
Joachim Manz Trabant Pendant Light is a Marvel of Interior Design
7
Concrete Lighting
The Aplomb Lamp by Paolo Lucidi and Luca Pevere is for the Tough Crowd
6
Rock Solid Rec Room Essentials
The HENGE Concrete Ping Pong Table is Designed for Outdoor Play
5
Concrete Book Bolsters
The A-Z Bookends Are for the Scholar in Your Home
4
Ultra Tough Tech
Kix Berlin Presents USB Sticks Made Out of Concrete
3
Cement-Topped Scents
The Alexa Lixfeld Fragrance Bottle is Topped with Concrete
2
Concrete Ping Pong Tops
James DeWulf Spices up Table Tennis with a Designer Flair
1
Concrete Speakers
Finally A Sound System for ‘Hard Rock' Music
Related Ideas
Upcycled Waste Material Furniture
This Cardboard Furniture Design by Lee Lin is Modular
Bean-Shaped Coffee Makers
The Conceptual Bean Coffee Machine by Juliana Juleva is Charming
Architectural Luxury Handbags
The Louis Vuitton x Frank Gehry Collection is an Exploration of Form
3D-Printed House Neighborhoods
EYRC and Mighty Buildings Develop the Suburbs of the Future
Inconspicuous Pet Furniture
Pilar Pirez Manfredi Designs the TAIPEI Pet Furniture Collection
Minimalist Concrete Homes
FRG Architects Designs the Courtyard Residence in Melbourne
Curvaceous Bench-Style Coffee Tables
The 'Shell' Table by Deniz Aktay is Chic Yet Strong
Reconfigurable Furniture Designs
Qbit Furniture Adapts to Changing Needs
Multifunctional Living Room Tables
This Aliving Coffee Table Doesn't Require Tools to Build
Cement-Reducing Building Methods
Rieder is Drawing Inspiration from Ancient Rome
People-Pleasing Office Furniture
Form Us with Love's Cubicle System is Minimalist and Interesting
High-Tech Eco-Conscious Furniture
The WoodenWood Project Upcycles and Utilizes Robotic Printing
Playful Modular Mops
Staff and Clorox Created a Colorful Wet Mop with Rubber Hat Topper
Mud-Made Furniture Collections
New Volumes Collection 02— Terracotta Pays Homage to the Material
3D-Printed Concrete Chairs
The 'Chair N°ONE' by Martin Oberhauser Has a Cushion-Like Form
Eco-Friendly Glass Materials
LionGlass is Significantly More Durable and Sustainable than Glass
Corn Cob-Made Wall Cladding
StoneCycling and Studio Nina van Bart Design the CornWall
Funky Colorful Storage Units
Pavel Vetrov's Funky Storage Units Capture Attention
Minimalist Clutter-Free Desk Designs
The Parallel Work Table by Eldho T Jai Enhances Productivity
Wooden Offcut Facades
Kolman Boye Architects Practice Sustainability with This New Project
Tubular Construction Desk Concepts
The 'Work Flow' Desk by Jing-Ciyuan Tang is Ultra-Functional
Striking Storage-Friendly Poufs
The 'Berliner' Pouf by Tugce Sonmez Evin is Multifunctional
Upcycled Book-Made Marbled Furniture
Willem Zwiers Designs the Tranformed Remnants Series
TV Packaging Seating Solutions
The 'Cuna' Furniture by Valeria Coello is Made Out of Cardboard
Cardboard Box Furniture
The 'Karton' Furniture Collection by Illya Goldman Gubin is Sturdy
Playful Concrete Wash Basins
The Kast Wave Collection Prioritizes a Sculptural Form
Flexible Concrete Water Tanks
These Inflatable Concrete Tanks are Easy to Deploy
Style-Conscious Power Tools
The Conceptual 'Module' Compact Drill Has Recycled Materials
Innovative Ceramic Tableware
Claire Ellis Pushes the Boundaries of Tableware Design
Nature-Inspired Rocky Furniture
Moroso Unveils the Pebble Rubble Series of Rounded Furniture
Orange-Accented Concrete Speakers
Duc Vu Anh Draws Inspiration from Brutalist Architecture
Coffee Grounds-Made Home Accessories
Sarah Christensen Uses Coffee Grounds as Material
Discarded Wood Construction Materials
Woodoo Uses Wood in Place of Glass, Leather and More
Whimsical Inflatable Sneaker Concepts
UV-Zhu Uses Daily Objects for His Nike Concept Sneaker
Weather-Versatile Conical Chairs
The Conicent Chair Has a Minimal Design for Indoor and Outdoor
Bio-Cement Oceanic Structures
The 'Reef Rocket' Combats Coastal Flooding and More
Visibly Undulating Stool Designs
The Concave Stool by Deniz Aktay is Structured Yet Soft
Bauhaus-Inspired Mobile Doghouses
Conran and Partners Design the New Bowowhaus Doghouse
Oozing Cake-Like Furniture Designs
The 'Roll Furniture' Makes Use of Discarded Materials
Self-Healing Concrete
MIT and Harvard are Inspired by Ancient Roman Concrete
3D-Printed Terracotta Coolers
Simon Pavy and Entreautre Designs a New Low-Tech Cooler
Microalgae Building Materials
SOM's Bio-Blocks Technology Uses Microalgae Instead of Concrete
Upcycled Circular Design Products
Cyrc Designs Expansive Products with Sustainable Themes
Silver Curtain Concrete Homes
Local Studio Bangkok Tokyo Architecture Designs the House K
Curved Concrete Hotels
Atelier d’More Transforms a Two-storey Building into a Contemporary Hotel
Raw Material Objects
Marusela Granell and Manu Bañó Experiment with Raw Materials
Urban Structural Street Furniture
BLUE Architecture Studio Designs the Symbiotic Urban Furniture
Translucent Glass Bricks
These Unique Bricks Offer Reliable Insulation and Load-Bearing
Interlocking Living Room Furniture
Mirlay Özlem ER's The Cube is Elegant and Space-Saving
Monolithic Furniture Exhibitions
Vince Skelly Unveils the Conversation with Trees Exhibition
Pool Noodle-Inspired Furniture
Lieyah Dagan Designs the Loop Furniture for Indoor and Outdoor
Contrasting Element Concrete Stools
The 'CONECTO' Modular Stool is Brutalist and Eye-Catching
High Concrete Walled Homes
Cesar Mancillas Creates a Linear Home with Tranquil Elements
Low-Cost Battery Alternatives
MIT Scientists Develop Efficient Energy Storage System
Water-Covered Speaker Installations
Google and Lachlan Turczan Unveil Shaped by Water in Milan
Repurposed Brick Public Furniture
Akasaki Vanhuyse's FLOAT Bench is Intriguing & Eco-Friendly
Cast Concrete London Homes
Bureau de Change Designs the Cast House in Clapham, London
Fungi-Based Building Materials
Mycocrete is an Eco Material Developed by Newcastle University
Castle-Inspired Cylindrical Homes
Elemental Designs the Casa del Tec in Monterrey, Mexico
Monolithic Concrete-Clad Pavilions
Alberto Campo Baeza Collaborated with Miguel Quismondo
Toy Brick-Inspired Studios
Sukchulmok Designs the Curving Block Photography Studio
Red Concrete-Defined Home Renovations
Atelier Delalande Tabourin Renovates a Home in France
Versatile Cork-Producing Companies
Amorim Cork Composites Spotlights Cork as a Material
Upcycled Stool Designs
Space Copenhagen Designs a Stool with Coffee Shells and E-Waste for Mater
Economical Modular Wooden Homes
The Cake House Reinvents Housing in the Czech Republic
Terrazzo Side Table Concepts
Stuart Cole Designs the Simplistic Balance Side Table Concepts
Wooden Cork Outdoor Furniture
Patrick Norguet and Ethimo Design the Cross Collection
Urban Waste-Made Furniture
Javier Guzmán Cervantes and Ex Soup Join on an Exhibition
Upcycled Plastic Construction Companies
'Kubik' Uses Plastic Waste as a Sustainable Material
Stone Waste Street Lights
The Conceptual 'Pebble' Street Light Offers Ambient Illumination
Railway Sleepers-Clad Buildings
Paddy Dillon Worked with Local Studios on the Roundhouse Works
White Wood-Clad Cubed Houses
Stanaćev Granados Designs a Chilean Holiday House
Pointed Foundation Coffee Tables
Donatas Žukauskas Designs a Distinctive New Coffee Table
Minimalist Aluminum Furniture Collections
URBANCRAFT Debuts the Monochrome Basics Collection
Sawdust-Created Biodegradable Casts
DART Lab's BioMatters Project Creates a Concrete Cast
Pixelated Illusion Housing
Ben Van Berkel Creates the Van B Housing with Rieder's Help
Collaboration Cannabis Paraphernalia
These New Houseplant Products Come in Two Styles
Eco-Friendly Styrofoam Furniture
we+ Designs the New Range of Recyclable Sleek Furniture
Sustainably Constructed Garbage Cans
Vipp's New Rubbish Bun is Made from Recycled Materials
Concrete-Glass Contrasting Pavilions
Jenny Peysin Architecture Designs a New Home in the Hamptons
Exposed Concrete Factory Structures
Iksoi Studio Adds a Concrete Grid to the Mallcom Factory
Multifunctional Building Planks
'KEVA Planks' are Diverse Building Toys for All Ages
Rustic Recycled Wood Tables
The 'Primitive Structures' Table Design by Jongwon Lee is Stone-Like
Modern Concrete Hayfield Homes
Omer Arbel Designs the 75.9 House in the Canadian Pacific Northwest
Cinematic-Inspired Terrazo Collections
Concrete Collaborative Unveils Night Palm x Stealing Beauty
Industrial Concrete Structural Offices
Diez + Muller Arquitectos Designs a New Office for Novopan
Carbon-Negative Concretes
This Eco-Friendly Concrete is Infused With Organic Materials
Cement Block-Decorated Homes
Bloom Architecture Designs the Small Houses Collection
Repurposed Waste Transit Tiles
Jeffrey Miller Creates Riles for the London Underground
Marbled Victorian Home Extensions
ConForm Adds a New Marble Extension to a London Home
Sustainable Vivid Installations
Durat Unveils the PORTA DEI COLORI Installation
Bent Multi-Functional Coffee Tables
The Shell Table by Deniz Atkay has a Curved Structure
Sculptural Canteliver Concrete Houses
Espacio 18 Arquitectura Designs the Casa del Alma
Versatile Modular Couches
The Transformer Couch 2.0 Adds Flexible Style to the Living Room
Modern Concrete Community Residences
AOA Architects Designs the Hoji Gangneung Dwellings
Upcycled Volleyball Trophies
This Plastic Trophy Aims to Promote Sustainability Of Oceans
Carbon Concrete Cubic Buildings
Henn and the Technical University of Dresden Design the Cube
Hillside Cantilevered Concrete Homes
Anonymous Architects Designs the Olancha Drive House
3D-Printed Terracotta Cooler Designs
Entreautre Creates the Biomimcry 3D-Printed Terracotta Cooler
Sculptural Conical Headphone Holders
Carl Liu Designs the Conceptual Reck_Cone Headphone Holder
Weather-Resistant Hexagonal Tiles
Snøhetta Designs the New Asak Flyt Expressive New Design
Grow-at-Home Sponge Furniture
ÉCAL's Sponge Furniture Expands 10 Times in Size After Soaking
Black-Concrete Mountain Houses
AR Arquitectos Designs the Black House in La Calera Outside Córdoba
Concrete South Korean Cafes
On Architects Designs the Nonspace Cafe Space in Incheon,
Bench Wall Furniture Systems
Form Us With Love Designs the Cubicle Furniture System
Cast-Concrete Cooling Homes
The FR House by CAZA Optimizes Natural Cooling Structures
Archetypal Conical Light Designs
The Fragile Lamp by Jaume Ramírez Has a Timeless Look
Light Reflective Modern Villas
PPAA Completes the Concrete Villa with a 'Water Mirror'
Sustainable Cubic Homes
Appels Architekten Designs a New Wooden Home in Germany
Welded Steel Cantilevered Footbridges
Ehl & KKoumar Architekti Designs a Sculptural Footbridge
Log Cabin-Inspired Modern Homes
Balbek Bureau Renovates a Home in Ukraine with Steel and Concrete
Triangular Concrete Apartment Blocks
HGR Arquitectos Creates the MO288 to Combat Earthquakes
Red Concrete Exhibition Centers
Mix Architecture Designs the Red Box Exhibition Center
Arched Concrete Community Centers
Centro de Colaboración Arquitectónica Designs a New Center
Squishy Clay-Made Daybeds
Niveau Zéro Atelier Designs the Soft Soil Daybed From Waste Clay
Lighthouse-Functioning Concrete Structures
Lin Architecture Creates the Concrete Pavilion in China
Industrial Sculptural Door Wedges
Massproductions Designs the Functional Universal Door Wedge
Cardboard Box-Transformed Furniture
Max Lamb Presents the Box Exhibition at Gallery Fumi
Large Concrete Educational Buildings
Stanton Williams Introduces the UCL East Marshgate Building
Reinforced Concrete Housing Sets
Atelier Rampazzi Designs the Residenza Carèsg Row of Homes
Contemporary Art Puzzle Sets
LEGO's Modern Art Building Set is a Great Buildable Decor
Hand Carved Cork Furniture
( ae ) offices Designs the DOL Furniture Collection with Tactile Detail
Plastic Waste Textural Benches
The New Raw's Knotty Project Stems from Sustainable Values
Love Lock-Inspired Coffee Tables
Adrián M. Almonacid Designs the 4E Coffee Table
Potato-Based Ultra-Strong Bricks
StarCrete is a Material That is Made to Be as Strong as Concrete
Clear Glazing Compact Residences
IGArchitects Designs the Check Patterned House in Japan
Sculptural Concrete Hotel Designs
Atelier d’More Designs the Sleeping Lab Hotel in Beijing
Climate-Friendly Waterfront Homes
From 4 to 1 Creates Three Pavilions in Copenhagen
City Exploration Apps
Concrete is a Social Exploration App Inviting Users to Discover Their City
Illuminating Construction Materials
A New Luminescent Material Can Spot Concrete Damage
Collectivity-Inspired Furniture Series
Conor Hacon Designs a New Capsule for Common Design
Textured Concrete Tiered Homes
Nomo Studio Designs the Shift House Holiday Residence
Preserved Townhome Concrete Facades
Rieder Joins Faerber on Preserving an Original Structure
Reused Skyscraper Furniture Capsules
Niceworkshop Creates the Aged Form Line and New Form Line
Converted Textile Factory Studios
Productora Transforms an Industrial Building to an Art Studio
Climate-Sensitive Pavilion Structures
Querkraft Designs the Pavilion Inspired by Wind Towers
Repurposed Imperfection-Embraced Buildings
Civic Architects & VDNVP Elevate a Series of Workspaces
Organically Shaped Furniture Capsules
Kelly Wearstler Deisgns the Echo Collection of Furniture
Stacked Pebble-Inspired Towers
Atelier 9.81 Designs the Calaid Port Tower Building
Powder-Coated Steel Furniture
Objekte Unserer Tage Designs the IVY Outdoor Collection