I think a "clean" and "contemporary" version of this would look amazing as well:
Along the lines of: https://www.modustrialmaker.com/blog/2018/8/14/making-an-imp...
Maybe with: (for weight) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foam_concrete (there are plenty of DIY versions of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4_GxPHwqkA