Copper in architecture

Exterior copper cladding on a modern building at Yifei Originality Street,[1] one of Shanghai's art, cultural and entertainment centers.
The Nordic Embassies, in Berlin, Germany.[2]
Copper facade at the Oak Park Public Library,[3] U.S.
Engraving on architectural copper encasement at the Yin Ruins Museum, Anyang, North Henan Province, People's Republic of China.[4]
Jurassic Museum of Asturias (MUJA) in Spain, with three-lobed copper roof designed to resemble a dinosaur's foot.[5]
Klaukkala church in Klaukkala, Finland, mostly covered with machine-seamed copper sheets.[6][7]

Copper has earned a respected place in the related fields of architecture, building construction, and interior design.[8] From cathedrals to castles and from homes to offices, copper is used for a variety of architectural elements, including roofs, flashings, gutters, downspouts, domes, spires, vaults, wall cladding, and building expansion joints.

The history of copper in architecture can be linked to its durability, corrosion resistance, prestigious appearance, and ability to form complex shapes.[9] For centuries, craftsmen and designers utilized these attributes to build aesthetically pleasing and long-lasting building systems.[10]

For the past quarter century, copper has been designed into a much wider range of buildings, incorporating new styles, varieties of colors, and different shapes and textures.[11] Copper clad walls are a modern design element in both indoor and outdoor environments.

Some of the world's most distinguished modern architects have relied on copper. Examples include Frank Lloyd Wright, who specified copper materials in all of his building projects;[9] Michael Graves, an AIA Gold Medalist who designed over 350 buildings worldwide;[12] Renzo Piano, who designed pre-patinated clad copper for the NEMO-Metropolis Museum of Science in Amsterdam;[13] Malcolm Holzman, whose patinated copper shingles at the WCCO Television Communications Centre made the facility an architectural standout in Minneaoplis;[14] and Marianne Dahlbäck and Göran Månsson, who designed the Vasa Museum, a prominent feature of Stockholm's skyline, with 12,000-square-meter (130,000 sq ft) copper cladding.[15] Architect Frank O. Gehry's enormous copper fish sculpture atop the Vila Olimpica in Barcelona is an example of the artistic use of copper.[16][17][18]

Copper's most noteworthy aesthetic trait is its range of hues, from a bright metallic colour to iridescent brown to near black and, finally, to a greenish verdigris patina. Architects describe the array of browns as russet, chocolate, plum, mahogany, and ebony.[19] The metal's distinctive green patina has long been coveted by architects and designers.

This article describes practical and aesthetic benefits of copper in architecture as well as its use in exterior applications, interior design elements, and green buildings.

  1. ^ Cultural China: Scenery-City Guide; http://scenery.cultural-china.com/en/148S2741S9905.html Archived 2012-10-13 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Nordic Embassies Berlin : Architecture Information, http://www.e-architect.co.uk/berlin/scandinavian_embassies.htm
  3. ^ Oak Park Public Library Main Branch; http://oakpark.patch.com/listings/oak-park-public-library-main-branch Archived 2012-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ying Ruins, Anyang, PRC; http://www.icm.gov.mo/exhibition/tc/ayintroE.asp Archived 2012-10-12 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ MUJA: Museo del Jurásico de Asturias; Frame and Form, 28/09/09; http://www.frameandform.com/2009/09/28/muja-museo-del-jurasico-de-asturias/ Archived 2010-08-29 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ OOPEAA - Klaukkala Church; http://oopeaa.com/project/klaukkala-church/ Archived 2020-03-11 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Klaukkalan kirkko - Vuoden Betonirakenne 2004 -kunniamaininta; https://betoni.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Klaukkalan-kirkko-Vuoden-Betonirakenne-2004-kunniamaininta.pdf Archived 2020-07-28 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Kireta Jr., Andy (2009). The copper advantage, Metal Architecture, June 2009; www.metalarchitecture.com
  9. ^ a b Austin, Jim (2006). Copper: The peacock of metals, Metal Roofing, April–May 2006; www.metalroofingmag.com
  10. ^ Seale, Wayne (2007). The role of copper, brass, and bronze in architecture and design; Metal Architecture, May 2007
  11. ^ The Guide to Copper in Architecture; European Copper in Architecture Campaign; http://www.copperconcept.org/sites/default/files/attachment/2011/pubpdf145.pdf
  12. ^ Michael Graves & Associates
  13. ^ Metal Sight: The source for metal cladding in architecture; http://www.metalsight.com/projects/metropolis/ Archived 2013-05-02 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ Malcolm Holzman on Design Inspiration, Buildings, April 27, 2009;
  15. ^ Vasa Museet; http://www.vasamuseet.se/en/About/The-history-of-the-museum/ Archived 2012-03-12 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ Fish sculpture at Vila Olimpica; Frank Gehry Architect; http://pastexhibitions.guggenheim.org/gehry/fish_sculpt_11.html
  17. ^ MIMOA online architecture guide of Europe; http://www.mimoa.eu/projects/Spain/Barcelona/Fish Archived 2019-04-10 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ Goto, Shihoko (2012). Copper in architecture, Business Insider, as published in Resource Investing News, March 14, 2012; http://www.businessinsider.com/copper-in-architecture-2012-3
  19. ^ The glory of copper; Metal Roofing Magazine, December 2002/January 2003