Urbancrete In and Around London

Polished concrete really seems to be popping up in so many commercial design schemes right now. Makes good sense as the durability factor of polished concrete is certainly high provided it is made and sealed properly and so many commercial sites already have a fair amount of concrete sturcture in place. I love the idea of enhancing it. Love the loft or warehouse design that is so popular right now. Here are a few commercial spaces from random parts of the world, followed by some Urbancrete In and Around London. Seems that it's not just London that is experiencing the concrete craze.

Both photos above Creative Alliance Cafe Baltimore Maryland

Pottery Barn Store California

Pinterest- Not sure what retail space this is or where it is but I love the wall texture!

Melbourne Deli

Urbancrete In and Around London

GBK Tower Bridge
Unit 2A Tower Place 
London, EC3R5BU

We have, over the years, done quite a few Gourmet Burger Kitchen Restaurants but the one at Tower Bridge is my favourite. Here we made worktops but also poured the solid concrete wall at the entry using rough hewn timbers to create a timber plank look. Structural and aesthetic...the best way to build in my opinion.

UME 
One Poultry Place  
London EC2R 8JR 

This is a great example of the different looks that we can achieve with our concrete micro toppings. The spec on that project was that the concrete was to look as though it was running down the wall. Here we used a Gun Metal Grey Micro Topping and applied it on plaster boards which we properly treated to take our materials. It was polished and sealed for a seamless concrete wall finish which can be done in any residential or commercial space to create a great accent wall.

 Karpo

23 Euston Road

NW1 2SD

This is a new eatery on Euston across from St. Pancras Station. We had a lot of fun here because we were able to do so many things with the micro topping. We did floors, walls and the bar in Camouflage. Urbancrete Micro Topping was used to cover a timber substrate bar as well as shelves, furniture and columns at the front around the windows. We also made concrete wall panels which we can make in any shape or size. These were done in Argonaut and Rust. And finally, we cast in place heated concrete benches and tables for an almost indoor/outdoor seating effect.

The Real Greek Westfield Centre Stratford

Here again we made concrete wall panels which I love as the install on them is so quick and easy. Great in residential or commercial spaces.The back wall was done in Elephant. We also did Camouflage coloured floors here.

Although these are all commercial sites, the options for residential spaces are as endless. Fireplace surrounds, stairs, worktops, bathroom pieces, bespoke sinks......furniture, walls, even ceilings!

Karpos

What a privilege it was.

We hope you enjoy. 

Karpo is a new restaurant across from St. Pancras Station at 23-27 Euston Road that we recently had the pleasure of working on. Not only are we in love with the interior space here but we also love the chef, the staff, the food, the wine and all of the great people that we had a chance to work with over the past several months.

Take a look.

We laid polished concrete micro topping floors here as well as treated the bar and walls with the same micro topping in Camouflage. The metal fence work is by far one of my favourite features in the space. There were so many different artisans involved in the completion. Mark Wilkie from The Narrative brought it all together.

Of the features that we did, this wall to me turned out amazing. Thanks to our guys at Urbancrete Leeds, Urbancrete London, myself and Mark Wilkie I think it ended up being exactly what we had put to paper and pictured many months before. These are wall panels which started with our Rust micro topping and were layered, aged, stained and then polished. 

Below are Urbancrete polished concrete wall panels in Argonaut. I think panels are such a great option for walls as they are easy to install and we can make then in any size. And oh the love that I have for these tables. I highly recommend visiting Karpo and enjoying everything there.

The lighting, the overall vibe, the comfort...love it all! Oh and did I mention that the food is really great.

Below are some rough concrete tables that we poured and finished as outdoor seating indoors next to the living wall and finally some more of the bar and polished concrete walls in Camouflage.

Karpo- worth the stop!

Ikea Live Family Winter Edition

Urbancrete has been really lucky this past year with some great features in various publications. One that we personally had an amazing time with was a visit from Ikea Family Live. Amazing crew of people with such talent as well as a terrific magazine so worth viewing.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the shoot featuring Urbancrete pieces!

The side table has been done in Taupe Concrete Micro Topping and the dining table is an Urbancrete original burnished metal table base with solid concrete top.

The stairs in the background are frame construction with timber treads and risers, covered in Urbancrete Polished Concrete Micro Topping. The colour is Stone Slab.

Polished concrete kitchen worktop in Stone with a ground finish on an Urbancrete original base made from recycled timber.

Polished concrete has a great way of working into so many styles from extremely contemporary to very rustic. Whether it be solid concrete or concrete micro toppings the possibilities are endless.



Urbancrete is slang for old concrete that has been taken out. Our take as "Urbancrete" is embracing concrete in any form, taking out as little as possible, using what is available or needed and making it beautiful....embracing it in whatever form it exists. Whether it be old concrete needing a face lift or new concept concrete, we're interested in finding the right mix. There is something beautiful in raw un-treated concrete as well as the very modified, enhanced concrete. Not everyone has an appreciation for the material but in truth it is one of the greatest building components of all time.....capable of doing and being so many things, shapes, sizes, colours, texture. The problem is that it is often misunderstood and no matter how we mold it, mix it, design it, polish it up....it will always be concrete, full of imperfection and eccentricities. And why shouldn't it always be concrete as if we wanted it to be something else, why would we not be seek a different medium in the first place. For the clients that say they are looking for concrete to look like granite, buy granite. For those wanting concrete to be perfect or without this blemish or that blemish, an inorganic material is likely to be far more suitable than concrete. The beauty of concrete is flawed, perfectly imperfect and unpredictable at times, so married to the hand that touches it. Our favorite finishes are those with the most character. Could you live and love these finishes as we do?



Concrete micro toppings as above and below yield very pure concentrations of colour, however they too have imperfections and character traits that are simply always present in concrete applications. Tiny voids here and there or darker, richer areas of colour mottled throughout.



Stuart McIntyre photo



The above kitchen seems to be solid concrete poured in place. Taking what a pour gives you and making it beautiful is very much the job of a concrete artisan. We love what was done in this kitchen but many would look at it as flawed. Being aware of the different finishes and the attributes of concrete is really important before choosing it for any space. Of course as concrete designers and fabricators we have to make pieces suitable for use but being good at decorative concrete does not mean that we can tear the heart out of what concrete really is. Urbancrete as well as a number of amazing concrete designers, really do push the boundaries of what can be done with concrete within of course the realm of keeping it real....keeping it concrete!