Concrete, mon amour: The Raw Imprint of Modernism

 

Italian photographer Stefano Perego presents Concrete, mon amour: The Raw Imprint of Modernism, a photographic study of modernist concrete architecture spanning 98 buildings across 29 countries. Documented over ten years between 2015 and 2025, the book explores the formal and material language of concrete structures built in the mid-to-late 20th century — monolithic constructions that reflect the architectural ambition and ideological shifts of the era. Through a deliberately raw visual approach, Perego focuses on the expressive geometries, surface textures, and spatial presence of these buildings, from urban landmarks to isolated outposts.

stefano perego captures a decade of modernist architecture
Medical center, by architect Ágoston Miklós, 1981. Budapest, Hungary. photo: Stefano Perego, Concrete Mon Amour, Gestalten 2025.

 

 

Stefano Perego explores layered meanings behind constructions

 

The book organizes its subjects without privileging fame or recognition, instead offering a broad view of how concrete was used to shape civic, religious, residential, and infrastructural environments. Each structure is photographed in its current state, whether well-preserved or visibly weathered, providing visual insight into the endurance and evolution of these architectural forms over time. Beyond documenting aesthetics, Concrete, mon amour by Stefano Perego also interrogates the layered meanings behind the constructions. Some appear as enduring symbols of progressive vision, while others reveal associations with political power and cultural transformation. The book frames concrete not just as a material choice but as a medium of expression — at once brutal and intentional, utilitarian and sculptural.

 

The IItalian photographer ultimately highlights the complexity of modernist legacies: how the permanence of concrete continues to prompt reflection on the ideals, ambitions, and contradictions embedded within the built environment. The publication is both a visual archive and an invitation to reconsider the impact and relevance of architectural modernism today.

stefano perego captures a decade of modernist architecture
Johannes XXIII church, by architect Heinz Buchmann and sculptor Josef Rikus, 1968. Cologne, Germany. photo: Stefano Perego, Concrete Mon Amour, Gestalten 2025.

stefano perego captures a decade of modernist architecture
St. Joseph Church, by architects Marius Šaliamoras, Kęstutis Akelaitis and Gintaras Čaikauskas, 2016-2020. Vilnius, Lithuania. photo: Stefano Perego, Concrete Mon Amour, Gestalten 2025.

stefano perego captures a decade of modernist architecture
Saint Nicholas church, by architect Walter Maria Förderer, 1962-1971. Hérémence, Switzerland. photo: Stefano Perego, Concrete Mon Amour, gestalten 2025.