Light in concrete

Before we start talking about glass block, we’ll first take a look at an interesting related development.

A few years ago, Hungarian architect Áron Losonczi developed a method of casting glass fiber optics into concrete block. The result is a material that appears opaque, yet allows light to pass through it in a dramatic fashion. This material has strength comparable to ordinary concrete. Losonczi has started a new company, LitraCon (“Light Transmitting Concrete”) which is now producing this material.
This is an interesting addition to masonry, use of light, and creation of innovative architectural design elements.

The block system I’ve been describing here is amenable to using this fiber optic technology in concrete casting. This creates some exciting possibilities.