This year marks the 200th anniversary of a monumental development in building materials: the invention of artificial Portland cement. “Today, cement is the second most consumed substance on earth, after water,” noted Frank Matero, professor and chair of the Department of Historic Preservation at the Weitzman School of Design of the University of Pennsylvania.
Portland cement, a basic ingredient in concrete, is made by heating limestone, or calcium carbonate, in a kiln with other materials. Its name was coined by its inventor, Joseph Aspdin, who found its color resembled that of Portland stone, which had been quarried in England beginning in the Roman era.
Concrete, the most widely used building material in the world, is a composite comprised of a binder such as Portland cement mixed with filler materials like stones and sand.
An old advertisement for a concrete house kit. | Image courtesy of Frank Matero
Penn Design is marking the anniversary this weekend with a conference called Cement Age / Concrete Nation. The event devotes a day each to two different focuses. “We wanted to touch upon different topics and different disciplines,” explained Irene Matteini, architect and lecturer in the Department of Historic Preservation. “No other building material has evolved so quickly and extensively.”
The first day will present the history of various forms of concrete in architecture and the building trades, both domestically and in other countries. The second day will look to the future by discussing both preservation issues and how to improve concrete’s sustainability. On Sunday, a field trip to the Lehigh Valley, considered the birthplace of American artificial cement, will visit cement plants.
Matteini said the program takes a broad look at the topic. “With concrete heritage, you have to keep an open mind and involve a lot of different participants, like engineers, scientists, conservationists, and architects. It’s a complicated subject.”
An old Portland Cement Association print advertisement from the 1960s showcases the Police Administration Building (aka the Roundhouse) and its precast concrete panels. | Image courtesy of Michael Bixler
The conference includes a companion exhibit entitled Concrete on Paper. “It looks at the rise of concrete in building through the development of cement and how it was sold to architects and the public,” said Matero. “It changed the face of the modern world.”
As the home of several iconic buildings that utilized the material, “Philadelphia is a remarkable place to study concrete,” Matero added. “You have an array of buildings that used different concrete methods. It was a great period,” Matteini agreed, referring to the so-called Philadelphia School of the 1950s and 60s, whose best-known architects included Louis Kahn and Robert Venturi.
The exhibit features a section called “Icons of Philadelphia,” highlighting several important local concrete buildings, such as the Police Administration Building (aka the Roundhouse), International House, Beth Shalom Synagogue, and the Municipal Services Building.
An advertisement from the 1960s for Lehigh Cements featuring the Municipal Services Building. | Image courtesy of Michael Bixler
While citing the 200th anniversary as a rationale for hosting a conference on concrete, Matero noted another reason on the minds of the Penn Design school faculty. “We want to encourage an appreciation of an under-appreciated material and collection of buildings,” he explained, noting their similar intent two years ago when the school hosted a symposium about rowhouses. “Concrete is more than Brutalism. With time and education of the merits of concrete’s structure and uses, people’s appreciation will grow.”
However, those merits exist along with downsides. “Cement is the third largest carbon dioxide emitter on the planet,” Matero pointed out. Talks will include ideas and developments in reducing its carbon footprint during manufacturing, use, and end-of-life.
With many major concrete buildings passing the century mark, conservation is also an important topic. Matteini and others will describe efforts to enhance education in the subject. “Here at Penn, we launched a seminar on concrete conservation this past spring,” she said. “And a consortium of European countries started CONCRETO Academy in January of this year. The idea was to start a training school in concrete conservation.”
Other presenters of concrete conservation topics include the Getty Conservation Institute and the International Masonry Institute of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers.
Cement Age / Concrete Nation will take place on October 4-6 at the Kleinman Energy Forum, Fisher Fine Arts Library, 220 South 34th Street. The exhibit Concrete on Paper is on view now through May 1, 2025 on the first floor of the Fisher Fine Arts Library at the University of Pennsylvania. Gallery hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
