The Geisel Library (the main library of the University of California) was designed by William Pereira in the late 1960s. It was conceived to look like hands holding a stack of books, though the building also resembles the crown of a tree.

The image was so memorable that it immediately became the university's emblem.

This building, which holds around 7 million books, is an example of Brutalism in architecture — a movement of the 1950s through the 1970s that began in Britain but quickly went international.

Le Corbusier is considered the inspiration behind this style, since the term "brutalism" comes from the French béton brut — «raw concrete». Le Corbusier used it in many of his buildings, which means not only the absence of a surface finish, but also the preservation of the texture left by the formwork.

Brutalist traits include functionality, scale, mass, geometry, boldness and complexity of composition, the lack of finishes, and the use of concrete as the primary material.

A house with a clear Japanese aesthetic influence on the island of Java, by y0 Design Architect.

The main feature of the chosen site — direct sunlight from the west, which is a challenge at an average temperature of 22–29°C.

The team chose a simple geometric form for the house, but with an abundance of detail. Concrete — the main building material — is used for both the foundation and the walls. Wood, tile, and steel are used for the finishes. To cut down the heat on the west side, the walls are broken up with voids and architectural details. Plenty of openings are also used for maximum ventilation and natural light.

Gray, dull, massive. Those are the first associations that come to mind when we hear the word concrete. But adding pigment to the traditional mix of cement, sand, gravel, and water lets you color concrete all the way through. And that lets you highlight a building's volumes, fit it into the surrounding context, and pull off bold ideas — with a more durable, reliable result than paint.

For yellow and red, iron oxide is added to the concrete; cobalt oxide gives blue, and chromium oxide gives green. A deep black is achieved using black iron oxide, carbon, and pozzolanic cement.

Here are a few projects that use colored concrete.

1. A house in Lerina, Spain. Architects azpilicueta arquitectura y paisaje.

The yellow of the concrete references the traditional adobe wall, while the material itself is durable and easy to produce and maintain.

2. Casa Terra, Brazil. Architects Bernardes Arquitetura.

The walls of pigmented concrete run perpendicular to the main axis of the house, slicing the space into courtyards. The red tint is uneven, which enlivens the interior.

3. Pael House, Chile. Architects Pezo von Ellrichshausen.

The only way not to age is to be born old. The concrete blocks are cast in layers, one over another, which gives the façade a flowing effect.

4. Textilmacher, Germany. Tillich Architektur architects.

The complex geometry of the facade, combined with the anthracite concrete, creates a play of light and shadow. Depending on the weather and the brightness, the color and character of the facade shift.