Opus Moderne - with the creation of this term for the smooth-faced exposed concrete wall, Le Corbusier elevated this surface, shaped only by the traces of its production, as the prototypical construction of our time and simultaneously placed it within a millennia-old architectural discourse. This publication now examines the artistic and technological circumstances surrounding the creation of such surfaces through the example of three icons of modern concrete construction: Le Corbusier's Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Kahn's Salk Institute, and Ando's Langen Foundation. With the knowledge of a practitioner who has extensive experience in implementing his own exposed concrete projects, the author undertakes a meticulous reconstruction of the planning and manufacturing processes. He does not rely solely on generally accessible literature and archival material but appreciates the buildings themselves.