i.light “transparent cement” by Italcementi
  1. Home
  2. Design
  3. i.light “transparent cement” by Italcementi

i.light “transparent cement” by Italcementi

i.light “transparent cement”  by Italcementi
By Editorial Staff -
The new material has been developed by Italcementi Group to meet the project needs of the building that will represent Italy in China during the six months of the International Exhibition. The new product developed at the Bergamo-based laboratories ensures transparency through an innovative cement / admixtures mix design. The excellent flow properties of the mix allow bonding a plastic resin matrix into a final panel that combines the typical robustness of cementitious materials and the possibility of filtering light both inwards and outwards. This is the first solution for an industrial application of “transparent cement”: “The resins – explain the researchers – if adequately inserted in the cementitious material, have higher transparency performance than the optical fibres experimentally used in this field, but also cost much less allowing for their application on a large scale”. 3,774 transparent panels made from 189 tons of “transparent cement” will cover a total surface area of 1,887 square metres, approx. 40% of the entire Pavilion, creating a sequence of lights and shadows in constant evolution during the day. The transparent effect is more evident when it is dark and, seen from the outside, the building will allow the interior lights to filter through while, from inside, during the day, it will show the changes in the levels of daylight. Used for the first time in Shanghai, future applications of this material may encompass its use as an architectural component with diversified, integrable functions, such as, for example, internal lighting (shading/light diffusion techniques). The challenge of transparency confirms the innovative and creative dimension of Made in Italy and allowed Italcementi Group to provide the Italian Pavilion with know-how and solid business experience, as had happened in the past with other important architectural projects.

www.italcementi.it
Keep up with the latest trends in the architecture and design world

© Maggioli SpA • THE PLAN • Via del Pratello 8 • 40122 Bologna, Italy • T +39 051 227634 • P. IVA 02066400405 • ISSN 2499-6602 • E-ISSN 2385-2054