Corten steel facades in architecture

Creating the composition for Change

Controlling the interaction between the natural world and the built environment is one of the most fundamental concerns for designers and architects. In most cases, this simply means ensuring the elements are kept out. Building façades, however, present an opportunity for much greater interplay and experimentation. Through the use of corten steel, architects can harness the weathering process, creating vibrant canvases which naturally change over time.

 

Weathering Steel

Corten, or weathering steel, derives its unique character from a carefully balanced composition - incorporating low alloy elements, such as copper and nickel, during the smelting process. As with all steel, when exposed to the natural elements the surface of corten metal oxidises and forms a patina veneer giving the sheets a distinctive “rusted” look.

 

Rust as Protection?

The oxide layer is porous, causing it to retain moisture. In standard steel products, this will inevitably lead to further corrosion over time. The alloys withincortensteelhowever, help to form secondary layers which are resistant to water ingress and help to limit further corrosion of the metal. As a result, it can be used in outdoor applications without the need for a protective paint layer.

 

Autumn Colour

Much like autumn leaves, when the patina first forms it takes on a yellow shade. If the corten is left uncoated, this colour will gradually shift to a vibrant orange before settling to a dark red after several years of exposure. The speed of the colour transition is dependent on the frequency of wet and dry cycles the steel undergoes.

 

Corten Steel Façade in Architecture 

Eero Saarinen is often credited as the first designer to make use of weathered steel within an architectural context. In shaping the headquarters for John Deere, an Illinois based farming equipment manufacturer, Saarinen wanted to create a building which reflected the rugged, honest nature of the men who’d formed the company. His solution was a modernist design, blending glass with a corten steel frame which would develop a “deep hue, similar to that of the oak trees” which surrounded it.

 

Since then, corten steel has been used in an increasingly wide variety of applications, from shipping containers and bridges, to garden furniture and iconic sculptural pieces such as the Antony Gormley’s Angel of North. The material can be incorporated within a structure in a number of ways, but one of the simplest and most popular remains its use as a rainscreen facade.

As with any distinctive façade material, corten specifications require considerable thought and planning, however, as a growing number of projects have shown, when used well it can deliver truly iconic buildings which will continue to change and surprise over time.
 

At Kingspan we have delivered many projects with Corten Steel façade, and if you are looking for similar projects in India
contact Kingspan Jindal on sales@kingspanjindal.com