The Aesthetics of Concrete, Finally Recognized Now

Jeong Dong-geun, CEO of Studio Micon Co., Ltd., "UHPC Work and Concrete Popularization Needed Even for Non-Experts"

Jung Dong-geun, CEO of Studio Micon Co., Ltd., introducing various self-produced architectural interior and exterior panels in different colors.
[Photo by Studio Micon]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] "Concrete, which has been used solely as a structural material for centuries, is finally being recognized for its design value."

Studio Micon (Micon), which produces architectural sculptures, interior and exterior panels, and kitchen furniture using Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) with more than six times the compressive strength of ordinary concrete, is a company that pursues the beauty of concrete (美+Con) as its name suggests. CEO Jeong Dong-geun stated, "Sculptures made with UHPC have overwhelming durability, maintaining their original form for over 200 years. Concrete is being applied in more diverse fields with infinite possibilities."

Micon manufactures various concrete products using UHPC as the material. They have released concrete tables, concrete stools, benches, planters, and architectural interior and exterior panels in vibrant colors and designs. Particularly, Micon's unique technology that allows the production of washbasins and kitchen furniture?items constantly exposed to water?using concrete, which is typically vulnerable to water, is gaining attention.

CEO Jeong, who was researching UHPC during his doctoral studies in architectural engineering at Hanyang University, became fascinated by concrete and founded a company called 'Deconiture' in 2011, entering the concrete design furniture market.

Since then, the company expanded into concrete interior finishing materials, concrete panels, and the concrete construction market. In 2018, it changed its corporate name to Studio Micon Co., Ltd., and operates brands such as UHPC mortar solution 'Micrete,' concrete kitchen furniture 'Alecock,' concrete bathroom furniture 'Obello,' concrete public facilities 'Tongray,' and concrete architectural panels 'Concrete Skin.'

CEO Jeong said, "At the time of founding, although concrete was an excellent material both in performance and aesthetics, attempts to produce design products with concrete were only made in some European countries, and the market itself had not yet formed."

In this context, Studio Micon became the first in the UHPC manufacturing industry to have four designers actively releasing concrete furniture. Tables combining concrete and solid wood were traded at prices in the hundreds of thousands of won, and by introducing colored concrete finishes for the first time in a finishing market previously dominated only by epoxy floors, they brought a fresh breeze to the construction industry. By developing 80 pigments and creating over 400 concrete colors through mixing, they began to attract attention from the design and architecture industries.

Micon also sells UHPC mixes on the Micrete website and various open markets. CEO Jeong said, "There is a need for the 'popularization of concrete,' allowing anyone, not just experts, to easily obtain and work with UHPC," adding, "We also expect this to expand the UHPC market." A 20kg bag of gray UHPC is sold for 26,400 KRW, and white for 38,500 KRW.

With 23 employees, the company recorded sales of 2.6 billion KRW in 2019, 3 billion KRW last year, and expects 4.6 billion KRW this year. They anticipate a vertical increase in sales once they enter the government procurement market 'Nara Marketplace' in the first half of next year and are preparing to increase their workforce.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.