Specialty chemicals group LANXESS held the 6th Colored Concrete Works Forum on November 28, 2012, in São Paulo, Brazil. Over 200 guests from the Latin American building industry along with Brazilian trade journalists gathered at the Praça das Artes cultural center for the event, organized by the Inorganic Pigments business unit (IPG). The architects, engineers and representatives of construction companies and government agencies had an opportunity to exchange experiences in the podium discussions, and learn about practical ideas for using colored concrete in architecture in the topical presentations.

The welcoming address by Lothar Schwarz, head of Sales and Marketing for Latin America at the IPG business unit, was followed by an introduction to the Praça das Artes building project by Brazilian architects Marcelo Ferraz, Francisco Fanucci and Marcos Cartum.

While Lutz Kohnert, head of the IPG Global Competence Center Construction, explained the possibilities for using Bayferrox pigments and gave extensive practical and technical tips, Carlos José Massucato, Technology and Development manager at Intercement Brasil S.A., discussed specific challenges and solutions for implementing projects like Praça das Artes in Brazil.

In addition to speakers like Dr. Eng. Carlos Britez, Director at PhD Engenharia Ltda and professor at the University of São Paulo, and the two architects José Renato Melhem, also urbanist and Coordinator at Metropolitan Development Secretary of São Paulo Governor, and Alberto Kalach, a presentation was also given by Fermín Vázquez. The head of the Spanish architectural firm b720 Arquitectos made an appeal for “Building Color” to encourage the use of more color in concrete buildings. He and the distinguished architect Sir David Chipperfield recently were named winners of the first LANXESS Colored Concrete Works Award in recognition of their work on the Ciutat de la Justícia building project in Barcelona, Spain.

The series of presentations was concluded by Carlos Augusto Calil, Secretary of Culture for the city of São Paulo, with his outlook on measures for revitalizing the city’s downtown district.

First forum in a case study building

In its Colored Concrete Works series of publications, LANXESS has been profiling case studies on coloring modern buildings from all over the world since 2008 to give architects and developers new inspiration. The various issues describe in detail selected construction projects colored with the company’s inorganic pigments. The publications are available in nine languages both in print and online at www.colored-concrete-works.com. The most recent case study centers on the Praça das Artes cultural center, the venue for the 6th Colored Concrete Works Forum. “For the first time, we are holding the forum in a building that is the subject of one of our case studies,” said Schwarz. “In conjunction with the global publication of our new case study, our guests can directly inspect the building described, talk about it on site with the experts and generally share experiences.”

Praça das Artes sets colored accents in a gray cityscape

Architects Francisco Fanucci, Marcelo Ferraz and Marcos Cartum drafted the plans for the building ensemble, completed in 2012. Restored old buildings were linked architecturally to new constructions to create a new cultural center for promoting public interaction in the neighborhood while at the same time revitalizing downtown São Paulo.

Three distinct modules were merged to form the cultural complex, which covers a total area of 28,500 m². The complex houses the artistic departments of the renowned Teatro Municipal, with its Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Choir, String Quartet and City Ballet; a music school with an integrated documentation center and a parking garage.

Because the building is exposed to relatively heavy pollution in its urban environment, the architects deliberately chose concrete integrally colored with Bayferrox pigments. Unlike paint, it displays high resistance to pollution and thus generates lower maintenance costs. The subtle red and ocher shades unify the individual buildings of the ensemble, while at the same time setting the ensemble apart from its surroundings.

Sustainable value with Bayferrox and Colortherm

“As a leading manufacturer of inorganic pigments, we offer our customers more than high product quality, color consistency and variety; we also respond to their individual needs, because coloring concrete in modern architecture requires not only outstanding product quality, but also our technical expertise and comprehensive customer service,” emphasizes Jörg Hellwig, head of the IPG business unit. “It is this type of value-added offering that enables us to sustainably increase the creation of value.”