The Globe and Mail

Among some architectural savants and much of the general public, concrete gets no respect. The stuff may be tolerable in big, broad-shouldered infrastructure projects such as bridges and expressway ramps and decks, where its toughness is a definite asset. But, unfortunately (according to this opinion), concrete has snuck out of its utilitarian pigeon-hole and found its way into all kinds of buildings, ranging from libraries and universities to downtown office towers and suburban high-rise apartment blocks, that people have to look at, work in and live in on a daily basis.