FIRM FOUNDATION
Tsuri Custom Concrete celebrates the versatile applications of this rugged material for interior architecture and decorative elements
“When most people think of concrete, they usually assume that it will be grey, industrial-style and Brutalist,” says Justin Lim, founder of Tsuri Custom Concrete. “So I wanted to showcase the versatility and beauty of concrete; that it can be sexy, organic and almost any colour of the rainbow.” His passion for the material was sparked by a book entitled Concrete at Home by Fu-tung Cheng, when he was working on solid surface countertops; it changed his perception of concrete and inspired him to establish Tsuri Custom Concrete in 2017. Humbly describing the firm as “a tool of the designer”, the practice works closely with designers and homeowners to create custommade pieces including countertops and feature walls. The firm recently created a pink concrete countertop, designed by Studio SKLIM for the Grace Espresso cafe; for another project, the team crafted a curved kitchen island designed by Kite Studio Architecture. The firm uses a mix of GFRC (glass fibre reinforced concrete) and ECC (engineered cementitious composition), such that the concrete pieces they produce are resistant to shrinkage, cracks and flakes due to their high polymer content. Lim also builds his expertise with the material on annual week-long trips to meet concrete artisans around the world; kindred spirits who share their knowledge and advice. “Concrete is very unforgiving,” shares Lim. “If you make a mistake, 90 per cent of the time, you can’t fix it. You will just have to start over and cast again. Every failure is memorable; the key is not to make the same mistake twice.” Tsuri Concrete is located at 61 Woodlands Industrial Park, #06-04 E9 Premium, Tel: 9797 3011