COR-TEN® façade features in impressive office building in Warsaw

Steel, concrete and glass – a perfectly balanced combination 

The design of the Intop building was created by the architectural office of JM Studio s.c. The customer, a well-known construction company with long experience as a general contractor, knew exactly what to expect and where to pay attention. After all, construction is their specialty. The key requirements were material quality, durability and natural appearance as well as a possibility to use them to create innovative and interesting visual effects. 

COR-TEN® steel supplied by Ruukki Polska in cooperation with SSAB Poland perfectly meets these requirements. The weather-resistant steel seems to be rough and simple and in the course of time it undergoes a slight color changes due to the formation of a patina layer which protects the steel against corrosion.  

“All façade materials are related to Intop’s business – civil engineering,” says architect Jacek Kunca at JMSA. “COR-TEN® harmonizes well with concrete slabs and gabions. It is a very durable and vivid material, easy to process, takes on a nice patina and enables the façade to live a life of its own, with shade of color  changing depending on the weather conditions,” adds Jacek Kunca. The COR-TEN® steel sheets were made by SSAB Poland in Oborniki, Poland. The Intop project is an example of a perfect collaboration between Ruukki Construction and SSAB.  

”This investment is also an exemplary one in terms of design and construction. Our cooperation with Jacek Kunca, the main designer and also construction supervisor, was very successful. He asked about similar solutions used in other projects and each time consulted our production. All arrangements related to production, deliveries and installation went very smoothly. And the result is spectacular,” says Lucjan Janowski, Area Sales Manager at Ruukki Polska.

COR-TEN® reaps awards and popularity

Intop’s simple, low-rise office building features the right proportions of different materials and has been highly appreciated by experts. Builder magazine honored the Intop building with the model project award in the Investment category. The award was presented at the special Top Builder gala in March 2018 and included COR-TEN® steel as an example of a product enabling fulfillment of modern construction ideas.   
COR-TEN® steel is suitable for many various applications in the construction industry. It works perfectly as a material for external façade walls where due to alternate dry and wet conditions it ages naturally without any maintenance needs. 

It can also be used indoors for internal walls to emphasize an industrial style of interiors. A good example of COR-TEN® application is the European Centre of Solidarity in Gdańsk, Poland, where COR-TEN® dominates both externally and internally and matches the industrial character of shipyard area. 

COR-TEN® can be used for large facade surfaces but also for small and unique structures such as sculptures or monuments. Easy processing, perforation options and material flexibility make it a good choice for architects aiming at innovative and individual construction solutions.