ABSTRACT
Casting is an operation that is dependent on a removable assembly – the formwork – to give shape. Additionally, the cast material transforms from liquids to solid during the construction process. Consistency in casting concrete has a wide range of results. Concrete is an unforgiving material in that concrete records any missteps in the construction process. The beauty of the casting operation is that a single material solidifies into a predetermined shape and form. And the formwork, the inversion of the cast, can provide spatial depth in the concrete surface. However, at the Yale University Arts and Architecture Building, Paul Rudolph addressed the issue of weathering by casting reinforced concrete and then bush hammering vertical ridges to manage water and disguise the gathering of dirt. If the casting process must accommodate long breaks in between pours, the cast concrete will already start curing and a visible lift line or cold joint appears between those casting pours.
