The first building with a Corten steel facade appeared in Russia.

This is the Ferrum Business Center in St. Petersburg, on the site of the former machine-building plant Rossiya.

What's remarkable about this material? It is a composite alloy, very resistant to corrosion and extremely strong, also called "eternal" steel.

It has a velvety texture and a distinctive rusty red patina. The secret is that its dense oxide film (rust) acts as a protective shell, preventing further water penetration into the metal. Resistance to weathering is especially important in the St. Petersburg climate.

It is interesting that the patina does not appear immediately, but in the process of use, which means that over time the appearance changes. There are even special preparations for the controlled creation of the oxide film.

In order to give the simple rectangular volume of the office building a distinctive look, the technique of alternating flat and protruding steel modules was used, creating the illusion of weaving around a glass base. And it looks either like floating threads of "warp and weft" fabric or a basket made of birch bark.

The Ferrum BC is only part of a large-scale reconstruction of an industrial area, for example, there is already a building dedicated to the theatrical projects of the artist A. Benoit, known from "Russian Seasons of Diagelev".

The designs were developed by the architectural bureau TCHOBAN VOSS Architekten.

When it's +33℃ in Moscow (like now) and you have to go to the office, you want it look like this.

It seems like the workplace solutions made for tropical climates fit us too.

You have to go to an office and you want it to look like this./p>

What's the trick?

First, the effective shading from the sun's slanting rays by means of projecting cubes of wooden slats across the façade. Second, a departure from rigid structures and creating space for landscaping in the open air. And thirdly, the abundance of plants that make the façade look interesting not only from the outside but also from the inside.

The wooden office in Olgino, St. Petersburg.

Three-storey oblong-shaped building is based on 12 wooden frames, total area 1200 m².

The finishes use wood and brick. The long side walls are clad in brick with an interesting technique, part of the masonry is traditionally horizontal and part vertically oriented. The blocks alternate in a staggered pattern. The main facade is entirely glazed, and almost all the interior partitions are also in glass, creating a sense of openness and welcomingness.

The architects —of the bureau Conifer.

How to build a new commercial building, but keep the old city features?

This project emphasizes the preserved raised façade, in a continuity with the style and scale of the surrounding buildings. The new building tries not to be noticed, the architecture is functional and the fiber cement cladding is Swisspearl Largo with soft colors. It is deliberately shaded so that the façade that was preserved behind it stands out better and maintains the traditional character of the street.

The Blumenthal Building office building in São Paulo, Brazil. Architects Kruchin Arquitetura.

Nominee for ArchDaily’s 2021 Building of the Year Awards in the Office Buildings» and «Renovation» categories.

The office building in Lisbon, where the headquarters of GS1 Portugal, a company that implements identification systems (including qr codes), is located.

This is a reconstruction of a 1980s building that was built in Portugal one of the first specifically for business purposes (photo below). The authors of the renovation —architectural bureau PROMONTORIO.

The new building uses the existing concrete structure, but the façade itself is a play of angled concrete slabs and glass panels. Depending on the angle you look at it you get a new look every time, and it protects the building from overheating. A bas-relief of the street artist Vhils adds a touch of originality to the building.

Photo by Fernando Guerra, FG + SG