Green and Gold Copper

Graeme Bell, from Luvata UK, explains the latest finishes developed by the copper industry for architectural façades

finish naturally in the environment, other surfaces are available including pre-oxidised copper, with either light or dark brown oxidisation that would otherwise take time to develop in the environment, and alloys such as brass.

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Patination Innovations

Pre-patination technology has probably had the most influence on copper architecture over recent years and continues to inspire with new opportunities. The natural development of copper patina from bright to dark

brown and eventually to blue or green takes several years, and it takes longer on vertical surfaces than on roofs. It is dependent on various factors including the dwell-time of

rainwater on the surface and in some circumstances may never appear at all, for example on sheltered vertical façades. Therefore various treatments have been available for some time to provide a patinated surface straightaway, using either factory pre-patination of limited size sheets or on-site application of copper compounds after installation. Recent innovations in this technology now offer architects unparalleled design freedom and the ability to control the type and

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lthough it is one of the oldest materials used by man, copper is now being transformed for architectural applications with new surfaces and modern installation techniques. In addition to mill finish bright copper, which develops its surface

intensity of patina. They also remove limitations on the length of pre-patinated copper sheet or strip used on a project because whole coils are treated on the production line, not just limited size sheets. So, for the first time, architects and installers can determine specific pre-patinated copper surfaces for use in long-strip and other larger scale installation techniques. This new process is carried out in the factory on a dedicated

production line under carefully controlled conditions. Pre-oxidised copper is sprayed with specifically formulated copper compounds to create the desired patina colours and heat-treated to chemically bind them to the copper. The process can be accurately controlled so that, as well as the solid green patina colour, other intensities of patina flecks can be created revealing some of the dark oxidised material behind. These living finishes can be adjusted to create exciting design opportunities on new buildings or to match existing naturally patinated copper for refurbishment and conservation work. In marine climates, the natural copper patina contains some copper chloride giving it more of a blue colour. This can be emulated using the same process, providing a variety of blue finishes.

Living Green Hotel

A distinctive new hotel in the centre of Doncaster is the first UK

project to use this new pre-patinated copper technology. The design of the 140-bed hotel – by Cartwright Pickard Architects

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