Advocates for the use of new techniques in architecture come in many shapes; Architects, industrialists, or inventors have played an important role in providing successful examples of how materials can contribute to reforming construction. Steel, reinforced concrete, plastics and aluminum all associated with modern architecture were invented and perfected during years of important social turmoil and technical advancements. Materials were part of the war effort, concrete for bunkers, steel for arms, and aluminum and plastics for lightweight components. As knowledge and experiments with these new materials crossed from specialized military to more general use, producers and their associations took part in their sponsorship. Lobbying for sustaining both supply and demand for particular materials in construction is still the main goal of trade and manufacturer associations using publications, trade shows and marketing. The affiliation between architects and these trade and manufacturer associations is not a recent one and in some ways carry on the role of medieval guilds.
Architects through their experiments and material use advocate and argue for specific strategies and in some ways become advertising pawns supporting the work of trade associations. This is evident in the 1964, 174-page publication by the Portland Cement Producers Association titled Architectural Applications on Concrete in buildings. The catalogue presents projects from all over the USA employing reinforced concrete in original ways ranging from more normalized use in skeletons to more magnificent forms employing thin shells or illustrating the efficiencies of precast components leveraged toward multiple building systems.
Rendered or photographed as collected fragments each system is included as part of a growing corpus of works underlining the creative relationship between architects and a material brought to the forefront by producers. An interesting side bar note in the catalogue : a list of architectural projects showcase exposed concrete (released of its formwork) with little decorative work then an entire section at the end of the catalogue showcases little architectural work but a great variety of potential surface textures. The contrast between modern architectural work, validated by the discipline, and more common use reveals the distinct role of both lobby groups’ intentions: architects for architecture and producers for production, two solitudes and fields brought together through a common objective.
Page from the catalogue
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