In the past when architects and designers mentioned concrete, people rarely got excited. It usually meant a dull, grey, visually unappealing appearance. Today though, thanks to new technological advances, concrete can be cast in a variety of finishes and colours offering architects and the construction industry a material that is both eminently practical and aesthetically pleasing.
Coloured Concretes

Since the introduction of modern pigmented concrete products in the early 1950’s, the popularity of coloured concrete has increased rapidly over the past few years. In many towns and villages it is now common for planning authorities to specify the use of coloured building materials to help retain its traditional character. But technology has moved beyond even this, enabling artistic images to be incorporated in the very fabric of a building.

Coloured concretes have been used to dramatic effect in new structural developments such as the Trafford Centre in Birmingham, UK, the Basilica of Yamoussoukro on the Ivory Coast and the new European Parliament building. Dramatic effects are not only achieved in large structures though. Coloured concrete is just as effectively used in architectural pavements, paving stones and internal flooring.
Cementitious Floor Screeds

Cementitious floor screeds, figure 1, first developed in Scandinavia, have become an integral part of the UK flooring and construction industry, but unlike the traditional resin floorings, cementitious systems cannot be pigmented to produce a vast variety of colours. However, research by Armorex Ltd in Suffolk has focused on producing bright, intensively coloured screeds in which the colour is consistent throughout the materials. Cemlevel is a revolutionary coloured cementitious self-smoothing compound containing metallic non-oxidising aggregate 5-10mm thick. Cemlevel produces a durable surface with an aesthetically pleasing coloured finish and has been implemented successfully in both industrial and commercial applications.

AZoM - Metals, Ceramics, Polymer and Composites : Architectural Concrete – self-smoothing floor screed


Colour can be added to concrete in two basic ways - using coloured cement or by adding a colouring agent into the concrete or mortar during mixing. The colour is determined by the pigments selected, which are generally divided into two categories - natural and synthetic.