STAINLESS STEEL ON THE EXTERIOR OF GREAT BUILDINGS
The use of stainless steel in large architectural projects began only a hundred years after the official date of its discovery. The year is 1929 and the project will make history in the form of the New York City skyscraper, the Chrysler Building, whose roof features 4,500 giant plates of stainless steel. It is in Paris in 1992 that stainless steel makes its debut on the exterior of the National French Library, a choice that is technically virtuous, enchanting, and modern, while remaining elegant as well.
Stainless steel has been used in the last twenty years not only for new building projects, but also for renovations of buildings that feature glass, wood, or cement. The reason for this is not just an aesthetic choice, but also because stainless steel has many qualities that make it an ideal exterior material choice as it is strong, resistant to corrosion, easy to clean, and above all, does not require long term financial maintenance costs. Presently there are numerous examples of esteemed public and private buildings that feature stainless steel exteriors, most of which are to be found in northern Europe.