Filed under: Architecture, Rural Architecture, Seattle, Suburban Architecture, Urban Architecture
Also known as “weathering steel” the trademarked product Cor-ten has become prominent in progressive architecture here in North America. Cor-ten was originally developed from a group of alloy steels which eliminate the need for finishing or painting. The product develops a thin skin of rust which actually protects the inner layers of steel from the elements. This skin continues to rust and weather over time and achieves different appearances depending on the environment, location and exposure. Cor-ten steel is available in many structural cross sections as well as plate and corrugated panels. Technical data on Cor-ten can be found here. Although Cor-ten has been used since the 1960’s in applications of structural necessity and high exposure it has only come to prominence in the architectural industry within the last decade. We’ve rounded up 16 residential projects in North America that use Cor-ten as an exterior skin – in some applications it is the actual envelope, in others it is applied as a rainscreen. Let us know about your favorite Cor-ten projects out there.
829 Greenwich in Manhattan by Matthew Baird Architects, 2005
The facade includes a 40 foot tall Cor-ten steel plate
Mad Park in Seattle by Vandeventer + Carlander, 2007
The Cor-ten panels clad the service functions of the house
Montecito Residence in California by OSKA, 2007
The Cor-ten panels are also used for fire resistance
Delta shelter in Mazama Washington by OSKA, 2007
10’ x 18’ Cor-ten “shutters” which can be rolled closed
Weathering Steel House in North York, Ontario by Shim-Sutcliffe, 2000
Cor-ten sheets are used as cladding and Cor-ten structural members form a bridge across the water element
700 Palms Residence in Venice California by Steven Ehrlich Architects, 2005
The Titan in San Diego by Jonathan Segal
The overall geometry keeps the Cor-ten panels to typical and conventional shapes and sizes
The Prospect in San Diego by Jonathan Segal
While some of the structural steel is Cor-ten the exterior is said to be of typical steel just rusting away. There is a very nice blog post on this project here.
T-House in Wilton New York by Simon Ungers & Tom Kinslow, 1986
The Cor-ten envelope was prefabricated and shipped to the site in three pieces
Camano Island Cabin in Washington by BUILD llc, 2004
The project uses flat Cor-ten sheets and corrugated Cor-ten panels
1603 Random Road in Lawrence Kansas by Studio 804, 2001
Desert Nomad House in Tucson, Arizona by Rick Joy, 2005
[Photo by Mark Skalny]
Tubac House in Arizona by Rick Joy, 2001
Gazzano House in London by Amin Taha
Ten Broeck Cottage in Columbia County New York by Messana O’Rorke Architects
Ocean Beach Residence in San Francisco by Aidlin Darling Design
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yes yes. it’s really nice stuff. i was just in san diego. the jonathan segal stuff isn’t weathering too well, the titan is leaching all over the place, staining everything in sight. v+c’s mad park is not one of the finer projects they’ve done, unfortunately.
a supplemental list from recent research for a side project…
archea assocaiti: http://www.archea.it/uploads/progetti/011.jpg
gigon_guyer, Kalkriese Archaeological Museum:
http://www.floornature.com/worldaround/img_magazine/wr143_1_popup.jpg
OMA, Guggenheim Hermitage: http://www.rex-ny.com/media/20070906045807_guggenheim-las-vegas-04.jpg
sean godsell, st. andrews house:
http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/project/uploaded_files/720_HOTY%20St%20Andrews%20Beach%20House.jpg
hild und k, haltestelle Landshut:
http://coolboom.net/en/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/bus-shelter1.jpg
h&dem, caixaforum:
http://www.plataformaarquitectura.cl/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/1884800925_dsc05419.jpg
carlos ferrater, jardin botanico:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1061/1442234207_18bd1f8b93.jpg?v=0
thomas heatherwich, east beach cafe:
http://static.wallpaper.com/images/98_east_beach_cafe_am180607_f.jpg
steven holl, planar house:
http://www.stevenholl.com/media/files/319/ECDT1823—W-PROJECT-HORIZO.jpg
steven holl, school of art and arch. iowa univ:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/44/166124933_a8a7cabb76.jpg?v=1150699693
jim jennings, soma house: http://www.jimjenningsarchitecture.com/images/soma_house/soma_house01.jpg
Sebastián Irarrázaval, la reserva:
http://www.plataformaarquitectura.cl/cpgarq/albums/userpics/10001/reserva04.jpg
tezuka architects, Matsunoyama Natural Science Museum:
http://www.architecturalreviewawards.com/ard/ar+d2004/ARDLowres/Commended/Tezuka4.jpg
la dallman architects, ravin house:
http://www.archinect.com/gallery/albums/userpics/construction12.jpg
blankstudio, xeros residence:
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i207/modernlover62/ALBUM%202/ALBUM%203/8-17.jpg
richard bauer studio, meinel optical sciences:laboratory http://www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek07/0112/0112n_harch4_meinel_b.jpg
sarah wigglesworth, cremorne riverside center:
http://www.dezeen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/007_im.jpg
and locally:bellan office on 1st ave S.:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1342/1352222929_46d148774c.jpg?v=0
hutchison & maul, dow metal shop:
http://honorawards.aiaseattle.org/files/01_94.jpg
place architects, diva:
Comment by mike March 26, 2008 @ 9:36 pmhttp://www.placearchitects.com/_images/diva-2.jpg
I think Cor-ten is an awesome product. I know several of the students I’ve gone to school with favor this product as well, having seen it specified on several projects. However, I think it also has a downside, depending on the environment it is used in. For example, I’d be interested in seeing the sidewalk and street adjacent to the 829 Greenwich building. This stuff stains really bad. And depending on who you ask, this can be a positive side effect or a negative one.
The others you have shown are great though. I’m a big fan of Rick Joy anyway and think the Cor-ten is more than appropriate for Arizona’s landscape. The aesthetic of the structure in the landscape is very similar to his rammed earth structures. I love the color of both.
Comment by spark March 27, 2008 @ 12:14 pmPhil of Kaplan Thompson Architects emailed with a very nice Cor-ten project located on an Island in Casco Bay just off the coast of Portland, Maine. Check it out here:
Comment by buildllc March 27, 2008 @ 12:32 pmhttp://www.kaplanthompson.com/firecommandstation.php
Spark - that’s a very good point, Cor-ten continually stains the materials around it which, as you point out, can look really good or really bad. We’ve found that grass and earth are good products to install below Cor-ten.
Comment by buildllc March 27, 2008 @ 12:36 pmMike - WOW! Phenomenal links. I think you work harder on this blog than we do! Love that Jim Jennings house.
Comment by buildllc March 27, 2008 @ 6:12 pmi’d start my own (blog) but there’s not enough time in the day! jim jennings is amazing. i visited his studio a few years ago, and was enthralled by the camera obscura on his front door
http://jimjenningsarchitecture.com/images/brush_place/brush_place05.jpg
he’s also beastly with the beton.
Comment by mike March 27, 2008 @ 7:12 pmHere’s a cool one that uses corrugated panels as a cladding by architect Dustin Ehrlich:
http://materialicio.us/2008/02/21/house-on-wildcat-creek-dustin-ehrlich/
Comment by Bob-o April 2, 2008 @ 8:50 amfound another interesting project in iceland.
at least, i think it’s corten…
Comment by mike April 8, 2008 @ 9:07 pmhttp://arkitektur.is/verk/sportsakademia/sportsakademia-ljosabord/ljosabord.html
i was wondering if anyone knew of a good source where i could obtain corten. if you do it would really help. we are trying to use it on the interior and exterior of a building and are haveing trouble finding a good distributor.
thanks!
Comment by sean May 15, 2008 @ 3:46 pmSean - try Corrugated Metals Inc. out of Chicago: http://www.corrugated-metals.com
Comment by Andrew May 15, 2008 @ 4:08 pmthank you! i also found another place too that was really helpful!
The A588 & A572 Steel Company
1470 50th Street North
Birmingham, AL 35212
205-595-6600
fyi
Comment by sean May 16, 2008 @ 8:18 amApparently a588 and a606 is the real name for “corten”
try reclametal in colorado - recycled rusting steel in flat sheets or corrugated
Comment by martbern July 8, 2008 @ 3:59 pm