07
avril 2016
7+1 popular architectural applications in stainless steel
It is a fact that over the past few decades stainless steel figures as one of the most preferable materials especially in architecture. The exquisite composition, premium quality and long-lasting properties in time and weather conditions are some of the reasons why people choose stainless steel for various applications. The quality and endurance offered by inox cannot be compared to any other material and its life expectancy reaches hundreds of years as long as the maintenance is performed in time and under the right way. So here are the 7+1 popular architectural applications in stainless steel!
1) Balustrades and hand-rails:
Balustrades can be found in almost every single professional or private building and mostly in outdoor spaces. Stainless steel can be combined with every kind of material like glass, wood, marble and others creating an elegant and efficient product. Architecture, design and mechanical equipment have advanced over the years and the results of this evolution surpass any imagination and satisfy even the most demanding professionals. Handrails are also an extremely useful application and according to the new international legislations for health and safety standards it is imperative to place them in various spots of a building. Once again stainless steel is the number one material for all its good properties mentioned above.
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2) Façades:
An application that catches everyone’s eye and for which architects spend a lot of time and study is a building façade. For various reasons like ergonomics, sustainability, shading but mostly aesthetics, architects have evolved their perception ability when it comes to façades. Their construction requires imagination, creativity, ergonomics and environment friendly materials that win the fight against time and corrosion. Stainless steel and its numerous forms and shapes offer many choices and it constitutes a big source of inspiration for every single architect, that is why -nowadays- we find this material in many impressive projects. A few distinctive samples are the Walt Disney Concert Hall in U.S.A. futuristic façade designed by the famous architect Frank Gehry, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Cleveland also in U.S.A. and the French Army building (“Tour F”) in Paris, France. This last project was realized by Ieronimakis Inox with 9000m2 of stainless steel wedge wire screen. More information on this project can be found at
http://www.ieronimakisinox.com/en/projects/public-buildings/french-army-building
3) Canopies:
Another architectural application that requires both functionality and high-aesthetics is the canopies of a project. Canopies are nowadays a very frequent construction for protection from weather conditions, for shading, for using valuable outdoor space and for the aesthetics provided to a project. Stability and diachronicity of a canopy are insured by stainless steel and this is a quality professionals do not negotiate. Possible material combinations available for stainless steel canopies are glass and other permeable materials. This combination can bring to life every single architect’s inspiration but also prove his choice of basic material right.
4) Ventilation and air-conditioning systems:
One of stainless steel’s prime architectural uses were the ventilation and air-conditioning systems of a project, where this particular material is established as the most suitable one for this type of applications. The air ducts are mainly manufactured in stainless steel which ensures premium-quality, maximum performance levels and minimum deterioration of the parts that result to a higher life expectancy of the system. Modern constructions also require elegant finishing even for the mechanical parts of the building this is why architects choose stainless steel gratings and wire meshes for wall or floor ventilation system covers.
5) Staircases:
An old-time-classic architectural application is indoor and outdoor stainless steel staircases, that not only join two (or more than two) spaces but it also constitutes a stylish part of the construction. A staircase, thanks to its design and wide range of patterns and additional materials, can turn into an architect’s project trademark and catch everyone’s eye. The evolution and importance of staircases has come to a point where even outdoor side staircases (like emergency staircases) matter aesthetically. Ieronimakis Inox is a pioneer in staircases as we have a registered International Pattern for spiral metal staircase construction.
6) Claddings:
One of architect or designer’s most favorite elements is claddings as they “dress up” a surface that cannot be visible or accessible for safety reasons (like an escalator’s mechanism) or because the surface is not so good looking or non-functional like a simple wall. Claddings are a way to upgrade a project and more specifically stainless steel claddings is a very popular application that ensures stability thanks to its high tolerance, the originality of this material thanks to its variability and the quality of its fine properties.
The evolution of claddings came when people started using it for practical purposes as well: consequently, today, its two roles are to cover and to serve as a decorative element.
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7) Bridges:
The extended use of stainless steel is now applied In constructions that were traditionally made in common steel, constructions like bridges where nowadays this certain type of projects are expected to last in time, have a lower cost budget for maintenance and to reliable on engineering. Nowadays many professionals choose to specify their studies with stainless steel so that their constructions and/or parts are manufactured in that material. Many studies and researches confirm that stainless steel is a more suitable and reliable material for this type of construction, therefore this choice proves to be the best.
When it comes to bridge construction budgets, the numbers look a lot higher when it comes to stainless steel but if we compare a total budget, including maintenance cost for this type of projects, stainless steel makes construction fee amortization within the first years. Life expectancy is a lot higher, maintenance cost is significantly lower and the adaptability of this alloy’s properties to each project specifications are some of stainless steel’s numerous advantages over any other material.
photo ©Christopher Frederick Jones
8) Shading systems:
Bioclimatic architecture is one of the modern study methods that all architects need to follow in order to create not only a good-looking building but also an environment-friendly one. So a significant augmentation in solar panels installations, rainwater drainage & recycling systems and the use of ecological materials has been noticed. One of the most environment-friendly materials is stainless steel thanks to its long-lasting properties and the high material-recycling percentages that go up to 69%. One of the most common ways to turn a building Bioclimatic is the shading system, mainly with stainless steel grids, wire meshes or sheet panels. Applications like these fulfill Bioclimatic architecture’s principles and in the same time they turn a building modern and elegant, offering multiple and various design proposals that fit every architect’s inspiration.
