The best work as picked by leading industry organizations on the national concrete-themed day is the "Cromatico" sound sculpture located on the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds.

The Grand Prix went to sculptor Lukas Kühne from Germany for a work the panel of judges called "a complicated engineering solution, in which the artist’s vision of sounds and their travel through the chambers meet well with technical realization."

"Cromatico", a visualisation of the chromatic musical scale, consists of 12 concrete chambers, each one reverberating at a different pitch.

Kühne designed "Cromatico" for Tallinn's Capital of Culture 2011 festivities  in cooperation with an international culture platform called Tuned City.

The panel also had praise for the execution. "The very thin walls of the sculpture, poured from monolithic concrete directly on location, required extremely skilful workers," read the comments.

Aadu Kana, chairman of the jury, said the sound sculpture was unique, including the partnership that produced it. "It is also remarkable due majority of the project was done as pro bono by all parties, as a sincere and voluntary commitment. This is best possible
advertising for concrete as such."

The structural engineer was Andrei Kervalishvili of Nordecon Betoon OÜ, the builder was also Nordecon Betoon OÜ and the supplier was HC Betoon AS.

Among many special awards, one was given to Arhitektibüroo JVR OÜ (architects Kalle Vellevoog and Velle Kadalipp) and to E-Betoonelement AS for apartment buildings at Helme 14 in Tallinn that used rubber molds to shape the concrete elements.

Another special award for customer-architect cooperation went to Palm E Arhitektibüroo OÜ (architects Eero Palm and Pille Noole) and to customer Priit Altpere for a residential building in Tabasalu.

Ehitaja magazine gave a special award for quality construction of a building housing a Tallinn wastewater treatment plant.

Kristopher Rikken