Concrete & Steel | DVC I | November 2016

Three past and present empires were used to create the greater theme of this book: Roman, German and American. They were represented by images alone, the first being the maximum extent of their boundaries as well as their capital city, the second being
a concrete structure(s) that symbolize the growth of the empire, the third is the steel
“weapon” that, in the designer’s opinion, made each empire such a powerful force: Roman Legio, German Artillery, and American Aircraft Carriers.

Each empire was included in its own page, with a tab on the right hand of the book indicating its location in the greater book system, as well as to reinforce chronology. The main color representing the empire is used for each page background: Tyrian Purple, Red,and Blue. The objects chosen show the use of concrete that embodies the empire: Roman Aqueducts represent the abundance of water and the population growth of its empire, The German Atlantikwall embodies their will to conquer and the intensive fortifications they created to defend these holdings, and American Skyscrapers which represent the spirit of competition and pure capitalistic greed.

To reinforce the theme, stud binding was chosen, using metal bolts to hold the pages together. Industrial bolts were chosen to reinforce the manufactured feel and were arrayed in a stud-like pattern on the cover.