Patina is one of the words I learned in architecture school. It’s a compact and fancy word to describe something we’re all familiar with: the oxidation of a material that results in a change of its color. The most common material that patinas that's used as an architectural element is copper.
Copper is one of those amazing materials I’ve dreamt of
using on a building, but have not yet had the opportunity to use. When it first goes on it’s a pretty
metallic peachy color, which looks good on its own. Then, over time,
it slowly changes to the beautiful blue-green. The variegated color that results gives so much character to a building.
Here are some structures that have a beautiful patina:
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| Statue of Liberty |
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| Copper Dome |
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| Clock |
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| Medac Building |
A modern-day example: The Medac Building (above) is one of my favorite buildings in Wilmington, NC. The variation in color of the copper panels creates movement along the facade. It's a nice surprise in the sea of mundane buildings.
-S.L.
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