This book presents structural elements of prefabricated concrete in a historically and geographically expanded perspective. Room-sized and prefabricated structural elements of concrete are one of the most used building components in history and are, despite this, rarely noticed. The elements are often associated with a negative image of the modernist style, but the reality is more complex than that. Through these room-sized and prefabricated elements, for example, millions of people have a better housing standard in Sweden. Globally, millions of room-sized elements were produced from prefabricated concrete during the post-war period 1945-1989 with similar ambitions and technology.

As we have to manage the earth’s resources and build more sustainably today, these elements are a great resource that can be compared to urban mines above ground. The book presents the resources of these urban mines in the form of international and historical drawings, pictures, catalogs, books and other representations of prefabricated structural elements of concrete. The selection is made based on the ambition to reflect the similarity in form and material of the elements despite differences in geographical location and time. The content of the book is structured according to ReCreate’s participating parties: Sweden, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands.