Sorting through a folder of samples, I realized that I had unintentionally created my own spring palette for facades. Soft gray plaster combined with dark wood no longer seems as interesting to me. Right now, I’m in love with the combination of light stone with metal inserts.

Yesterday, I proposed an unusual solution to my clients: white brick and Corten steel panels. At first, they were skeptical, but when I showed them a visualization and photos of similar projects, they got excited. The contrast of textures and colors creates a dynamic feel that many modern houses lack.

I've also noticed that the trend for natural textures is making a comeback. Right now, I’m trying to incorporate gabions into a project as decorative elements—these are mesh structures filled with stones. They create a bold and striking effect. I’ll share my client’s reaction with you later.

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.