During the past 50 years, the plastic industry has grown at an incredible pace until becoming part of nearly all the areas of human activity, including of course architecture, and easily rivaling the steel and iron industry. The word plastic, which comes from the Greek plastikos (which means easy to mould] is an organic polymer material, rarely natural (rubber and wax) and frequently synthetic or semi-synthetic, created by large macromolecular chains which contain carbon. It is also inexpensive, flexible, mold-able, impermeable, insulating and resistant, although not easy to recycle. It has many practical and aesthetic benefits, thus converting it into star material for hundreds of thousands of consumers who have ceased to be content with traditional materials frequently associated with outdated decorative aesthetics and styles. Its use in contemporary architecture has enabled its range of possible shapes, colors, and finishes to be increased dramatically. Plastic materials moreover have made practically any architectural solution affordable to all, which until recently was only available for those with the most generous of budgets. However, it is possible that the increase in the price of oil will have repercussions on that of plastic and its demand will diminish slightly over the next few years, giving way to new materials which contain the same properties, such as graphite, carbon fiber, or bio-piastic. "Plastic Design" contains dozens of examples and architectural projects which have used plastic in one or various of their features: walls, illumination, roofs, facades, furniture... The examples featured cover practically all the possible applications of plastic materials in contemporary architecture. In some of these examples the use of plastic can be seen straight away, whereas in others it adopts a more discreet and neutral appearance, which is a far throw from the aesthetic one we traditionally associate with this material (uniform textures, shiny or reflective finishes, bright colors). The result is as heterogeneous as the range of available plastics in the market is wide.
Формат: 17,5 см x 23,5 см.