Going Green: 8 Weathered Copper Façades

Unlike other building finishes, designed to resist weathering and remain static, these naturally mottled surfaces will age gracefully, changing hues and textures with time.

Jon Cornachio

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Anyone who has ever found a lucky penny on the sidewalk knows what happens to copper that is left out in the elements. When exposed to oxygen, untreated copper surfaces undergo a process called oxidization, which gradually changes their color from a shiny, reddish-orange to a muted, blue-green patina.

This beautiful verdigris color, along with copper’s reputation for flexibility and durability, has made it a popular building material for centuries. Many historic buildings are adorned with copper accents, which add pops of color to their otherwise austere façades. Today, thanks to new manufacturing techniques, copper is being used for much more than decorations and downspouts. This collection from the Architizer database features eight buildings with entire façades clad in patinated copper.

Unlike other building finishes, designed to resist weathering and remain static, these naturally mottled surfaces will age gracefully, changing hues and textures with time.

Columbus Museum of Artby DesignGroup, Columbus, Ohio, United States

The recently expanded Columbus Museum of Art includes a new gallery wing clad in pre-patinated copper panels. This 50,000-square-foot addition stands in stark contrast to the original limestone building from 1931. The juxtaposition of copper and limestone continues throughout the double-height atrium which connects the two buildings.

Boat Houseby Sanaksenaho Architects, Nanjing, China

This contemporary house, embedded in a grassy hill and fronting a lagoon, is clad in dark green copper to help integrate it into its natural surroundings. In contrast to the metal exterior, the interior is finished in warm, locally sourced cherry wood.

The Genevieve and Wayne Gratz Center by Gensler, Chicago, Ill., United States

The Gratz Center is a 76,000-square-foot addition to The Fourth Presbyterian Church of 1912. The patinated copper façade gives the buildings an unmistakably modern appearance while subtly referencing the copper details of its historic neighbors.

Copper House by Takt | Studio for Architecture, Coogee, Australia

Copper House is a small, copper-clad vacation home near the Australian coast. Though only built in 2012, the salt air has already begun veining its red exterior with patina. True to its name, the inside of the house features copper light fixtures, exposed copper pipework and a copper accent wall in the bathroom.

The Maggie’s Centre Invernessby Page/Park Architects, Inverness, United Kingdom

Page/Park Architects have carefully set this cancer center within a garden of hills and spiraling paths. The curved façade, wrapped in aged copper, creates a dialogue between the building and the landscape. Designed to provide cancer patients with supportive counseling in an uplifting setting, this is just one of many Maggie’s Centres operating around the world.

The Green House in Singaporeby K2ld Architects, Singapore

The name of the Green House is a clever play on words hinting at its façade’s dual purpose. The copper cladding both gives the house its distinct green color and makes it ‘greener’ by acting as a heat shield, drastically reducing the need for air conditioning.

Marché Lierby Lund+Slaatto Arkitekter, E18, Norway

Marché Lier is a restaurant located on route E18, a major European roadway. The building’s angular, copper form is designed to invoke both the natural topography of the site and “a sense of speed and motion” along the roadside. The interior is finished in horizontal timber panels which mimic the striations of the façade.

Krasnow Kook Renovationby Travis Price Architects, Bethesda, Md., United States

This house, rebuilt “from the basement up” by Travis Price Architects, is a composition of volumes in weathered copper and stained cedar. These materials, chosen for their natural beauty and low environmental impact, harmonize with the home’s woodland setting.

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