About Graphic Concrete

Interior architect and inventor Samuli Naamanka first became interested in concrete in the late 1990s while working on a project to expand a factory. In 1996, he enrolled in a concrete applications course at Helsinki University of Art and Design because he was eager to learn more.This investigation furthered his understanding of concrete’s aesthetic potential, which resulted in the design of Helsinki’s Pikku Huopalahti Concrete Park.

Naamanka invented a brand-new process for producing patterned concrete surfaces that eventually became known as Graphic Concrete. This process was patented in 1999 and involves imprinting patterns onto concrete with a specific paper and surface retarder. Fair-faced and exposed aggregate surfaces are contrasted to create designs with little to no depth.

After a successful R&D with leading concrete factories, paper manufacturers, and printing labs, Naamanka, engineer Veli-Pekka Rydenfelt, and D. Tech Risto Mannonen founded Graphic Concrete Ltd in the early 2000s. The goal was to provide architects with a tool for imaginative and expansive applications, from façades to interior walls and outdoor furniture.

Today, graphic concrete is a celebrated invention in numerous prominent projects worldwide. It allows architects to turn concrete into functional and aesthetically pleasing surfaces.