BY GRAPHIC CONCRETE
26.11.2014

Just a couple of years ago the Semba Center Building in Osaka, Japan, was an unsightly bazaar-like complex of ten buildings housing textile companies in the city centre, dividing Osaka in two. Originally built in the 17th century, and now partially located beneath a motorway flyover, the Semba Center Building had reached such an age that the officials demanded its renovation to reinforce its brick façade against the possibility of earthquakes and to prevent the bricks from cracking and falling.

Ishimoto Architectural & Engineering Firm, Inc was selected to carry out the project. The architects at Ishimoto were assigned the task of rejuvenating the urban image while at the same time highlighting the textile activities that take place within the Semba Center Building. This inspired the poetic idea of somehow incorporating a traditional Kimono pattern.

Selecting the materials and agreeing to the renovation solution proved to be a lengthy process due to the variety of opinions and concerns of the merchants’ association representing the 800 tenants. Fortuitously, the fibre concrete manufacturer AGB presented the graphic concrete technique to Ishimoto’s architects just at the right time, shortly before the chief architect Mr. Tada’s private visit to Finland.

Mr. Tada was very interested in the technology, so AGB and Graphic Concrete’s distributor in Japan arranged for Samuli Naamanka, founder of Graphic Concrete, to show Mr. Tada examples of how graphic concrete has been used in Finland. It only took one day with Samuli Naamanka to convince Mr. Tada that graphic concrete was the right choice for the new facade of the Semba Center Building.

Ishimoto’s architects designed their own sketch of a Kimono pattern, but for the final version they wanted a more artistic touch. Following the visit of Mr. Tada to Finland, it seemed natural to ask Samuli Naamanka to design the final pattern.

“The assignment of designing the Kimono pattern was an extremely interesting challenge, as the kimono is a very traditional Japanese form of clothing. In my subsequent research I learned a lot about kimonos and their different varieties, such as Nami and Asanoha kimonos. I found out that each designer creates his or her own variation on the theme and that there is no one standard design,” says Samuli Naamanka.

Originally the plan was to create a different design for each of the ten buildings at the Semba Center Building. To reduce costs, seven patterns were eventually chosen. The patterns were created using graphic concrete and perforated aluminium panels.

“Combining the two materials supports both techniques and allows the patterns to be repeated and varied in an interesting way. The first three patterns have already been completed and can be seen on the façade of the Semba Center Building, while the remaining patterns will be completed by the end of next summer,” Naamanka adds.

Naamanka enjoyed extremely smooth collaboration with Ishimoto Architectural & Engineering Firm, Inc, and all the details of the project plan have been very successful. The biggest obstacle to the implementation of the project has been the central location of the Semba Center Building, due to which the construction work has had to take place partially at night.

Japan

Architect: Landscape81 LLC / Azusa SekkeiCo., Ltd.
Color: Light
Pattern: Designer’s own repetitive pattern
Address: Noda, Chiba
Type: Commercial Building
Year: 2024

Canada

The Saint-François-d’Assise School Extension, winner of the 2022 ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Award, showcases the creative potential of Graphic Concrete®. The 125-mm-thick, 7-meter-high panels serve as a durable rainscreen while featuring rich textures and fine patterns achieved with Graphic Concrete technology.

Artist Shelley Miller designed the façade as part of Quebec’s public art integration policy, adding artistic touch to the project. With anti-graffiti protection and efficient installation, this extension blends innovation, durability, and aesthetics—demonstrating the power of Graphic Concrete® in modern school architecture.

Architect: Heloise Thibodeau Architect Inc
Color: Light&Dark
Pattern: Designer’s own repetitive pattern
Prefabrication: BPDL Precast Concrete International
Address: 2150 Rue Liébert, Montréal, QC H1L 5R1, Canada
Type: Educational Building
Year: 2019

Japan

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Tokyo has recently completed reconstruction, marking an extraordinary fusion of tradition and innovation. Beyond its striking facade lies an architectural masterpiece imbued with the intricate narrative of Indonesia's rich cultural heritage, evident in every precast concrete slab on the facades.

Japan

G735 Gallery is a multi-functional exhibition space for cars and artwork located in the heart of Ginza, Tokyo. A total of 1500 pieces of precast Graphic Concrete floor tiles illustrates the streets of the Ginza area. The black exposed aggregate -surface and the surface of the smooth white lines gives a maximum contrast, showing the map very precisely.

Japan

The repetitive, elegant pattern in Graphic Concrete on the KANDA SQUARE GATE facade was designed by Nikken Sekkei Ltd which is one of the most big and well-known architectural firms in Japan. This is a commercial building including residential. The building has approx. 4,477m² floor area and consists of 11 floors. The simplicity of pattern, well-made prefabrication work and harmonising material combinations of concrete, wood and glass have resulted in the success of the project. 

Japan

The repetitive, unique pattern in Graphic Concrete on the Keiyo Bank's facade is made of the bank's logo.

Japan

As a promotion for the International Kenpoku Art Festival in 2016, cubic benches with cartoon-like illustrations on each side was designed. The cubes have strong local ties. In addition to the illustrations having a special meaning to the locals, the cubes were produced of local raw materials in collaboration with local designers and local concrete prefabricators.

Japan

Kitasato Institute at Shirokane in Tokyo is situated on the same site as the first tuberculosis hospital in Japan, established in 1893. The façade of the memorial hall was designed by Engineering Sciences and Design and realized with Graphic Concrete.

Japan

Curved Graphic Concrete panels can be seen on the facade and inside the Kochi Castle Museum of History in Kochi, Japan. The pattern design ”TimberWall” was inspired by works of Yamauchi Kazutoyo, who built the Kochi Castle (1601-1611) and whose art collections are permanently exhibited in the museum. This project is a good example of how Graphic Concrete can be used on a curved surface.

Japan

Minami Ikebukuro Park is a newly renovated park which used to be a sheltered area for homeless people. In this park, you can find two walls of Graphic Concrete with beautiful images of a forest landscape, serving as a memory of the local forest. The first wall was built in 2015 and the other beautiful wall was completed in 2020.

Japan

This project was initiated as part of a brand renovation of Mitas Kanazawa, a medical equipment sales company. One of the Graphic Concrete GCCollection patterns, Caleidoscope, was selected to highlight the entrance of the renovated building.

Japan

Namiki Square is a cultural complex consisting of a multi-purpose hall, music and theater practice hall, municipal library annex, citizen’s square, and administrative office.

Graphic Concrete was used to pattern interior concrete walls, but also for signage; an interesting and beautiful application.

Japan

The Graphic Concrete GCCollection pattern “Pebbles” was selected for the facade of Nonoichi Community Center. The aggregate chosen was local river sand and aggregates - a choice that harmonizes well with the local surroundings.

Japan

Osaka College of Music presents an example of street art with Graphic Concrete. As a design motif, ripples in the water were transferred to the concrete objects by using Graphic Concrete technology.

Japan

At the Ota Civic Hall you can find very elegant minimalistic Graphic Concrete bollards and stools, outside and inside the building. The pattern is one of our all-time favorites; GCCollection Grass.

Japan

Regina Resort hotel in Kyukaruzawa, Nagano is a place where you can spend a relaxing and luxury time with your beloved dog. In the resort yard, a big concrete bowl gathers rainwater from the roof. Dog paws were the inspiration for the Graphic Concrete pattern inside the bowl. This concrete bowl has become a popular attraction for visitors who love dogs.

Color: Light
Pattern: Designer’s own pattern
Address: Kitasaku District, Nagano 389-0102, Japan
Type: Commercial Building
Year: 2018

Japan

The surprise and delight on the faces of passersby when they notice the new look of the Semba Center Building reveals that the end result is successful. Also merchants are pleased with the outcome. Originally the plan was to create a different design for each of the ten buildings of Semba Center. To reduce costs, seven patterns were eventually chosen. The patterns were created using Graphic Concrete and perforated aluminium panels.

“The design assignment for a Kimono pattern was an extremely interesting challenge, as the kimono is a very traditional Japanese garment. In my subsequent research I learned about kimonos and their different varieties, such as Nami and Asanoha kimonos. I found out that each designer creates his or her own variation of the theme and that there is no one standard design.”

Samuli Naamanka, Interior Architect, MA

Architecture: Ischimoto Architectural & Engineering Firm Co.
Color: Dark
Pattern: Designer's own Repeating pattern
Design: Samuli Naamanka
Developer: Kumagai Gumi Co.
Prefabrication: Asahi Building-Wall Co., Ltd. (AGB)
Address: 2-3-6 Senba-Chuoh, Chuoh-ku, Osaka, Japan
Type: Commercial Building
Year: 2014
Photo: Graphic Concrete

Japan

The interesting welcome gate wall of the Faculty of Engineering at Shinshu University was designed by the students from the Faculty of Engineering and realized with the Graphic Concrete technology.