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Old Posted May 23, 2011, 4:35 PM
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Anodized Metal in Facadework?

Disclaimer: Yes, I am a science fiction geek, and I love anime, so noting that my suggestion would lead to buildings that look like they're from science fiction or anime is not a real objection in my book.

Basically, I'm thinking designers of tall buildings need to start considering using anodized, dyed metallic elements in their facades - kind of like flashy rims on a car or bicycle, only a lot bigger and in more elaborate patterns. Think about it:

http://www.independentcoatings.com/i...s_example2.jpg

http://www.myriadminds.com/tsj/trikd...ront2-1024.jpg

http://vfrworld.com/photos/data/500/..._Gold_Rims.jpg

http://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j0...-Carabiner.jpg

I'm thinking especially about the blue from that last link - I want to see that in huge, sky-high sheets with razor-sharp patterning. Stone masonry, brick, cement, plain steel / chrome, and now glass have been well-explored to date, but colored metal has not been. Where are the shiny, electric metallic blues and reds? Where does the cyberpunk aesthetic collide with the Industrial Age? I don't think you can deny this holds some pretty awesome possibilities.
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Old Posted May 25, 2011, 7:24 PM
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I've had similar thoughts. Anodized aluminum is extensively used for the mullions of the facades of modern skyscrapers, but it seems that they universally aren't dyed or are dyed a very subdued color so as to not stick out. I've alols thought about the missed opportunities for ornanment when designers use blank, flat metal panels to cover a building.

Boring!

Why can't they use stamped metal panels to create intricate patterns, like tin ceilings used to be done? I don't see how it would add a huge cost premium.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_ceiling
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Old Posted May 25, 2011, 8:01 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scalziand View Post
Anodized aluminum is extensively used for the mullions of the facades of modern skyscrapers, but it seems that they universally aren't dyed or are dyed a very subdued color so as to not stick out. I've alols thought about the missed opportunities for ornanment when designers
It seems like such a painfully missed opportunity. Perhaps designers could start experimenting on signature midrises? And yet even there it seems they're way too conservative. There's not enough experimenting going on, even in boom times.
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Old Posted May 25, 2011, 8:46 PM
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The only specific building I can think of offhand that begins to make that sort of exploration at a scale beyond window mullions is the Experience Music Project museum by Gehry in Seattle.

Is the question more related to metalwork ornamentation on the facade or color? There are countless examples of metalwork ornamentation on skyscrapers. Everybody from Helmut Jahn to Petronas to Jin Mao and so on. Clear coated colors? Not so much.

It's funny, I've often found myself looking at towers that have aluminum skinned panels or detailing while under construction and wishing that the blue plastic protective coating didn't have to be removed. The best example I have of this was looking at the facades of 1IFC the Chung Kong Centre in HK in 1998 when they were nearing completion. The protected aluminum made the buildings look a vibrant blue. Not that once unwrapped they looked bad, just a little 'blander'.
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Old Posted May 26, 2011, 8:55 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by plinko View Post
The only specific building I can think of offhand that begins to make that sort of exploration at a scale beyond window mullions is the Experience Music Project museum by Gehry in Seattle.
Wow, that does offer a few examples - particularly that alien purple seen here. It is all about the colors, but also the reflective depth of it - should look like solid metal, not thin sheets of foil. Electric blue is mostly what I want to see, though - a building like lightning.
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