Manipulating light adds movement to concrete
Source: CONCRETE AND MASONRY CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS
Publication date: July 19, 2007
By Laurie Banyay and Ted Worthington
Gander Mountain Stores, left, Lustrous Mold master, center,
& Sears Centre Elevator Tower, right
"It's human nature to be
attracted to light and movement," says Tom Schrunk, a
Minnesota-based artist who manipulates how light reflects
off materials, including wood, brushed metal, and, most
recently, concrete. He does this by using the interplay
between light and shadow. By positioning the decorative
elements at various angles, the surface seems to shimmer
and even move as the light changes or and the viewer moves.
The surface shimmers and seems to move in the interplay
between light and shadow.
Schrunk achieves this look in concrete by using textured
formliners with intricate designs and deep relief. His
system is so advanced, in fact, that "if somebody wants to
specify it to the extent of it having the best presentation
at 2:30 in the afternoon when approaching from the east, I
can design for that," he says.
A recent example of his technique was seen at the Artistry
in Decorative Concrete demonstrations at the World of
Concrete 2006, where he teamed up with decorative concrete
contractor Tom Lockwood.
They used self-consolidating concrete, which eliminates air
pockets and bugholes to produce a smoother surface that is
necessary to bring out the more intricate designs. But, SCC
isn't the only option. Schrunk can achieve this effect
using standard concrete mixes or concrete reinforced with
glass fibers, though the finer the texture and pattern on
the formliner often requires smaller aggregate to get a
clean concrete surface. "The objective is to have people
notice the light, not the concrete; to see the artistic
imagery, not the mechanical process. The smaller you can
make the grooves and the mechanical parts, the less the eye
is drawn to them, and the more you enjoy the art for art's
sake," says Schrunk.
To date, Schrunk's system has been used mainly for
commercial projects. For example, Schrunk used an
agricultural design of a wheat stock, with deep ridges to
cover a 10,000 sq. ft. vertical face on the Sears Centre in
Hoffman Estates, Ill., in 2006.
Logos are increasing in popularity, too. Sporting goods
store Gander Mountain contracted Schrunk to render their
logo. The design alters in appearance while walking past,
and also with the movement of the sun throughout the day.
Various DOTs have expressed interest using Schrunk's work
for retaining walls. London has received samples and may be
considering it for buildings at the 2012 Olympics.
For more information on Schrunk's process or to contact
him, visit www.lustracon.com. To see a farm scene that
Schrunk and Tom Lockwood created at the Artistry in
Decorative Concrete 2006, see below [Photo by Oscar
Einzig].
Tom Lockwood, left, Tom Schrunk, right