Show HN: Brutalist Concrete Laptop Stand (2024)
This Show HN features a custom-built, intentionally dilapidated brutalist concrete laptop stand, complete with exposed rebar, artificial rust, integrated charging, and a plant pot. Its extreme weight and unique, deconstructed aesthetic sparked a lively discussion on Hacker News about design philosophy, structural integrity, and unconventional construction methods. The author's candid mention of a peculiar tool for concrete vibration also earned it significant attention.
The Lowdown
Sam Burns, a self-proclaimed lover of brutalist architecture, has crafted a highly unconventional laptop stand that embodies the 'beton brut' aesthetic. Designed to be the 'heaviest laptop stand in the world,' it meticulously incorporates elements of urban decay and dilapidation, making it a standout piece of functional art.
Key features of this brutalist behemoth include:
- A distinctive brutalist-style overhang, complemented by a deliberately damaged corner and faux-rusted rebar.
- An urban decay aesthetic, enhanced by exposed, artificially corroded copper wiring (not live) and a penpot painted to simulate moss.
- Integrated modern conveniences: a three-pin plug socket for the laptop and two 2.1 amp USB charge ports.
- An integral plant pot made from a ghee tin, housing a 'string of pearls' plant to further evoke derelict buildings.
- The concrete was intentionally mixed imperfectly and vibrated with a 'vibrating dildo' during curing to create varied surface textures and remove air bubbles.
Despite its imposing weight necessitating a trolley for desk placement, the author expresses delight with the final product, achieving a striking blend of architectural inspiration and functional design that challenges conventional notions of desk accessories.
The Gossip
Brutalist Beauty or Urban Decay Debate
Commenters largely appreciated the aesthetic, drawing comparisons to visual styles found in games like 'Control' and the 'Quake Brutalist Map Jam.' However, a significant portion of the discussion centered on whether the intentional 'urban decay' and 'dilapidation' elements truly align with the utilitarian, monolithic principles of traditional brutalism, or if they represent a distinct, though inspired, aesthetic.
Concrete Concerns: Weighty Woes
The stand's extreme weight was a major talking point, prompting numerous jokes and genuine concerns about the structural integrity of desks and even floors. Commenters pondered the practical limits of using concrete for non-structural, everyday items and discussed possibilities for creating lighter concrete alternatives or thinner designs.
Crafting Concrete & Curious Tools
The technical aspects of the stand's creation sparked interest, particularly the author's frank disclosure of using a 'vibrating dildo' to remove air bubbles from the concrete – a method surprisingly validated by other users familiar with industrial concrete vibrators. Discussions also covered the intricate processes of artificially rusting rebar and copper wiring to achieve the desired aged effect.