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COR-TEN steel in buildings, a journey through history until today

Steel resistant to atmospheric corrosion or better known by its trademark COR-TEN is a type of steel that, due to its specific alloy, generates a protective patina against corrosion.

The steel made up of Nickel, Chrome and Copper forms a protective layer of superficial oxide that gives the piece effective protection, impermeability to water and water vapor, giving it that characteristic reddish-orange color. This particularity allows the material to protect itself without the need to receive a subsequent treatment of galvanic protection or paint.

The first architectural reference to this material was in the construction of the John Deere World Headquarters offices in Illinois. This project was made entirely of corten steel in 1964 by the Finnish-born American architect Eero Saarinen.

Deere Company- first corten facade history of corten steel

Another contemporary work to this was the A.S. Steel or also known as Steel Building. The project was carried out by the steel company that created this innovative material in 1970 to show the potential of corten steel. It is currently the tallest tower in Pittsburgh, and the fourth tallest in Pennsylvania.

U.S. Steel Tower, also known as Corten-steel Steel Building

Photography by Derek Jensen (Tysto)

Corten steel landed in Spain 8 years later at the hands of the architect Francisco Sáenz de Oiza in the construction of the BBVA Tower in Castellana 81, Madrid. National Architecture Award in 1946 and 1954, Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts in 1987 and Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts in 1993, Sáenz de Oiza applied pioneering and unique solutions to the entire building, from its foundations to its structure. , without forgetting its facade. Tower 107 meters high and with 28 office floors spread over 38,000 meters of total area.

The façade consists of a curtain wall combined with corten steel. Rounded corners allow a panoramic view of the city. The façade has aluminum parasols to regulate the entry of light. Thanks to these elements and many others, the building enjoys the LEED pre-certification, GOLD category.

Façade of the BBVA Tower (Madrid, Spain, 1979–1981). Architect: Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza (1918–2000).

Photography by Luis Garcia

Other emblematic COR-TEN projects in our country are:

1. The Barcelona Botanist (1999) by the architects Carles Ferrater and Josep Lluís Canosa, the landscape architect Bet Figueras

Corten steel plates in the Barcelona botanist

Photography by Jordi Vidal

2. Euskalduna Palace, Bilbao (1999) by the architects Federico Soriano and Dolores Palacios

Corten Palace of Euskaldua, Bilbao 1999 Federico Soriano and Dolores Palace

Photography from the website www.euskalduna.eus

3. Caixa Forum Madrid Cultural Center (2002) by Herzog & de Meuron architecture

Corten façade of the Caixaforum madrid pour herzog & de meuron

Photograph by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra