AURUBIS
NORDIC COPPER BUILDING STUDIES
Nordic Copper offers an extensive range of natural surfaces and alloys that can be applied in numerous ways to clad a wide variety of building types from concert halls to social housing . A growing series of building studies – via www . nordiccopper . com – exemplify the best in contemporary architecture and showcase the diversity of surfaces , forms and applications available with Nordic Copper today .
Copper ’ s unique architectural qualities are defined by its naturally developing patina – which cannot be replicated successfully using other materials with surface coatings . Within a few days of exposure to the atmosphere , a copper surface begins to oxidise , changing from the ‘ bright ’ mill finish to a chestnut brown , which gradually darkens over several years to a chocolate brown . Continued weathering can eventually result in the distinctive green or blue patina seen on older roofs .
NATURAL PROCESSES
The Aurubis ‘ Nordic Copper ’ range provides all these surfaces straightaway . The processes involved are generally similar to those taking place over time in the environment , utilising copper mineral compounds , not alien chemical processes .
All these surfaces form an integral part of the copper , generally continuing to change over time , and are not lifeless coatings or paint . The material is easily bent and formed , and there are no limitations on the length of copper sheet or strip because whole coils are treated on the production line , not just limited size sheets .
The Nordic Copper range includes Nordic Standard ‘ mill finish ’ and Nordic Brown pre-oxidised copper , offering lighter or darker shades of brown determined by the thickness of the oxide layer . The extensive Nordic Blue , Nordic Green and new Nordic Turquoise ranges have been developed with properties and colours based on the same brochantite mineralogy found in natural patinas all over the world . As well as the solid patina colours , ‘ Living ’ surfaces are available for each with other intensities of patina flecks revealing some of the dark oxidised background material .
Photo : Maris Tomba
COPPER ALLOYS
Copper alloys are growing in popularity as well including Nordic Bronze and Nordic Brass – which can also be supplied preweathered . The innovative Nordic Royal is an alloy of copper with aluminium and zinc , giving it a rich golden through-colour and making it very stable . Its surface retains its golden colour and simply loses some of its sheen over time to give a matt finish .
DIVERSITY OF FORMS
A wide choice of Nordic Decor mechanically applied surface treatments is also available for various surfaces and alloys , particularly suited to interior applications .
Apart from traditionally-jointed , rolled material supported by a substrate , various other forms of copper for architecture are increasingly being explored by designers .
Photo : Dapple Photography
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