Soild Poetry

Solid poetry is a concrete tile that reveals a pattern when wet.

Image courtesy by studio frederik molenschot ©

Concrete is used more than any other man-made material in the world. As of 2006, about 7.5 cubic kilometers of concrete are made each year—more than one cubic meter for every person on Earth. Different types of concrete are produced depending upon the end application.

Special types of concrete are essentially those with unique physical properties or those produced with unusual techniques and/or reproduction processes. Many special types of concrete are made with portland cement as a binding medium; some have used binders other than portland cement like plastics, rubber, metal etc and have come up with extra ordinary results.

Just when you think you’ve seen everything that can be done with concrete, along comes another surprise. Developed by Netherlands-based designers Frederik Molenschot and Susanne Happle, Solid Poetry is a concrete tile that reveals a pattern when wet. The floral patterns depicted here are the result of a carefully-applied surface treatment that reveals itself only when exposed to water or humid air.

Molenshot and Happle imagine their Solid Poetry tiles to be appropriate for gardens, poolsides, bathrooms, saunas, or any environment that encounters frequent humidity changes. Solid Poetry thus enhances environments with its additional aesthetic state that results from a rapid response to natural or user-driven stimuli.