Ahead of the Curve: Concrete Curtains

An undercurrent running through the recent design show's trend presentations was about morphing, stretching and bending the rules when designing interior products and spaces. Whether in materials, forms or perspective; it’s about things never being quite what they seem and constructing a feast for all the senses.
Concrete is one of those materials that is undergoing this metamorphosis. We’re all familiar with concrete and how integral it is to today’s environments. But Design gets interesting when we start to question its generic forms and are challenged to create new perceptions of recognizable materials and products. Case in point- Concrete Curtains.

The Bertonvorhang, a concrete curtain designed by Thomas Mennel and Reinhard Muxel of memux, Vienna Austria consists of 2 elements -concrete cushions attached to each other resembling a patchwork quilt that are hung from a flexible header from a track. Winner of the 2008 Red Dot Award in Product Design, it morphs into a drapery as the cushions folds and stacks as if it were a textile.
All the senses are engaged from the visual play of light and shadow thru the cushions to the rustle of the raw edges moving in the wind and cool or heat to the touch. Function not to be forgotten-It has excellent sound and heat absorption qualities.
Think outdoor privacy or windscreen screens; Urban loft partitions or man caves??? What do you think?
For more on concrete used in out-of-the box ways check out LiTraCon- light transmitting Concrete .