Siment is a collection of concrete vases and planters inspired by urban infrastructure in present-day India.  It is also about how in India, concrete is often transformed from a purely functional material into an opportunity for decoration.

We created typologies of the Brutalist water-towers and flyover infrastructure pillars we found. These structures had had all taken on a secondary or unofficial use over time. They were painted or used as surfaces for expression, and had become ornaments in the neighbourhood. Siment celebrates this blurring of decoration and function and the creation of secondary uses that is omnipresent in Indian life.

This vase was inspired by one of the many flyover pillars in Bangalore that have dominated the city’s landscape since the late 90s. We miniaturised the functional and architectural features, in this case the geometric ridges found on its sides. They were then rendered as decorative patterns and tactile elements. Each design in the collection including the Flyover Vase, was 3D-printed, moulds made out of silicone and the pieces cast in concrete. Our Flyover Vase won a Wallpaper Design Award in 2019.

Other pieces in the collection include concrete planters that are based on Indian Water Towers. Check them out here. You can also see another vase from the same collection called ‘Metro Vase