Importance of New Use of Concrete in Iraq Analysis of Development And Use of Concrete in Architecture
Authors: Majeed Mohammed Ridha Shakir 
Published: April 2023

Since its invention by the Ancient Romans and later developed during the mid-18th century, the concrete structure and finish, has been considered as the most powerful, practical, economic and constructional material that meets the building’s architectural and aesthetical requirements. By creating unique architectural forms, the pioneer architects used concrete widely to shape up their innovative designs and buildings.

The pre-mixed ultra-high performance concrete which manufactured by Lafarge.

The transparent concrete and cement that allow the light beams to pass through them, introduces remarkable well-lit architectural spaces within the same structural criteria. This product is a recyclable, sustainable, friendly environmental and cost efficient back up.

Due to its characteristics, strength, flexibility, affordability and long term performance, the concert integrated and contributed in modern architecture, urbanism and civil developments. Apparently, most of the 20th Century architects employed high-tech concrete method to deliver Iconic and bespoke architectural monuments world-wide. The interaction between the architectural form and the concrete as a buildable, executable, structural and constructional material has been always the main concern for architects over generations.

The formalism in architecture was first identified by the Art-Nouveau movement during the early 20 century in Europe as well as in Northern America. It formed, utilized and sculptured the concert to meet the use, function, aesthetical and spatial needs of spaces. This wave generated series of most significant, outstanding and impressive buildings in the architectural symbolized record.

This was followed by the Brutalism architecture presented by Alison and Peter Smithson in England and also by Le Corbusier works in Marseille and India. However, Alvar Alto and Louis Khan have participated and established a tremendous use of concrete to erect public interest developments on the same era

The concert as a structural element dominated the Metabolism architecture that represented by the Japanese architects like Kiyonori Kikutake, Kisho Kurokawa, Noboru Kawazoe, Masato Otakaand and Fumihiko Maki. They visualized the city of the future to be viable, evaluable, expandable, flexible structures that evoked the processes of organic growth as it is in nature. Their developments are often called technocratic and described as avant-garde with a rhetorical character. The Metabolist mega structures heavily relied on advanced technology and adaptable plug-in building techniques in using this material.

The research concluded the influences of the concrete as a building material upon the modern and building forms from the outsets. By exploring the history of the material, expanding its characteristics and specifications and later demonstrating the modern architecture movements and architects, this research has achieved its targets to acknowledge the importance of concrete in the current construction market and architectural developments.