Alessia Giardino designs tableware collection made from dyed concrete
Dutch Design Week 2014: Central Saint Martins graduate Alessia Giardino has used a variety of techniques to mix pigment into these concrete tableware pieces to form different colourful patterns (+ slideshow).
![Concrete Tableware by Alessia Giardino](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/11/Concrete-Tableware-by-Alessia-Giardino_b_dezeen_468_1.jpg)
Concrete Tableware is a series of flat modular forms designed as chopping boards, trivets and centrepieces for the table, or simply as artwork.
![Concrete Tableware by Alessia Giardino](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/11/Concrete-Tableware-by-Alessia-Giardino_b_dezeen_468_0.jpg)
"The idea came from concrete tiles," Giardino told Dezeen. "Just by making them in different shapes, they become modular. It's still a tile, but you can also make visual landscape backgrounds for the food."
![Concrete Tableware by Alessia Giardino](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/11/Concrete-Tableware-by-Alessia-Giardino_dezeen_468_5.jpg)
The concrete mixture includes added polymers, and is formed into shapes including circles with various diameters and a range of asymmetric polygons.
![Concrete Tableware by Alessia Giardino](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/11/Concrete-Tableware-by-Alessia-Giardino_dezeen_468_6.jpg)
The pigment is added while the concrete is wet to achieve different visual effects – watercolour paintings, streaked marble or brush strokes that appear to be painted across the surfaces – once the material sets.
![Concrete Tableware by Alessia Giardino](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/11/Concrete-Tableware-by-Alessia-Giardino_dezeen_468_8.jpg)
"I use various techniques for mixing the pigment with concrete," said the designer. "Sometimes it looks more like watercolour, sometimes a marble effect."
![Concrete Tableware by Alessia Giardino](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/11/Concrete-Tableware-by-Alessia-Giardino_dezeen_468_3.jpg)
A sealing agent is used to make the plates waterproof and heat resistant, as well as prevent the pigments from rubbing off and making them safe to prepare food on.
![Concrete Tableware by Alessia Giardino](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/11/Concrete-Tableware-by-Alessia-Giardino_dezeen_468_1.jpg)
"The idea of using colour comes from our relationship with food - it's about transferring the sensorial feelings from the food to the tableware," said Giardino.
![Concrete Tableware by Alessia Giardino](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/11/Concrete-Tableware-by-Alessia-Giardino_dezeen_468_2.jpg)
Concrete Tableware was originally designed for Concrete in Design, a competition for young designers run by Italian design brand Alessi and concrete producer Italcementi.
![Concrete Tableware by Alessia Giardino](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/11/Concrete-Tableware-by-Alessia-Giardino_b_dezeen_468_2.jpg)
Alessia Giardino recently completed a Masters in Material Futures at Central Saint Martins and presented the Concrete Tableware project during Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven last month.