Vinegar. That and other compounds were applied to custom-perforated Corten steel on a sculptural gateway titled The Ribbon at the Ygnacio Center in Walnut Creek, Calif. This rubicund tarnish resulted in a signature rusted look without the years of aging required naturally. Creating a memorable entrance and a sense of enclosure that modernizes and reinvigorates a 50-year-old commercial office complex, these trapezoidal metal forms extend from the community building to the adjacent parking garage. A complex hanging system balances light and heavy metal sections to create a floating effect, and the perforations minimize weight and allow for wind passage.
Building owner: Hines, Houston, www.hines.com
Architect: Form4 Architecture, San Francisco, www.form4inc.com
Steel installer: Mancias Steel Co., San Jose, Calif., www.manciassteel.com
Steel finisher: Stuart Dean, San Francisco, www.stuartdean.com
Metal panels and fabricator: Master Metal Products, San Jose, www.mastermetalproducts.com
