A Case Study on Transforming a Facade with Patinated Copper

Nestled within a former Brooklyn warehouse district, 178 North Eleventh is a new residential and retail building in the Williamsburg neighborhood. 

After undergoing a rebirth a decade ago, the area is now in a construction boom, and the neighborhood is seeing an influx of residents attracted by its energy and eclecticism. Michelin-rated restaurants and high-end art galleries sit adjacent to live music venues and funky boutiques, all just a short train ride from midtown Manhattan.

For the transformation of 178 North Eleventh, a former seven-story button manufacturing warehouse, developer Darren Anikstein of Great Point Properties knew he needed “something different” on the building’s exterior to attract the trendsetting Williamsburg market.

“There’s a lot of buildings in Brooklyn that use dark brick and aluminum panel exteriors,” Anikstein describes. “We wanted something different, something authentic, a material which was historic and yet very contemporary. The material from Zahner looks outrageous. It is exactly what we hoped for to bring our building to life. We’re now a desirable standout among the many apartment buildings in Brooklyn.”

The building’s facade is divided between two distinct blocks of various sized blue-green copper panels. These copper panels add eye catching interest to the building’s brown brick, windowed exterior. In keeping with the eclectic vibe of the neighborhood, the structure is unexpected, hinting at the stylish yet practical interior design.

While Zahner is known as a fabricator of custom facades, the firm’s facility will only run so many custom fabrication jobs per year. That’s why Zahner now offers its material in flat sheet form, so that a larger number of built works can benefit from the patinated surfaces produced by the company’s patina facility.

Custom coppers, zincs, and steels are now available in flat sheet orders. By specifying flat sheets on projects of moderate scale, architects can ensure that their project will stand out with authenticity. That’s exactly the option architect Dan Bernstein of Kutnicki Bernstein Architects chose to make this residential facade possible.

The design team at Kutnicki Bernstein Architects (KBA) developed a blended facade featuring existing and new materials. Selecting the Zahner-manufactured Star Blue Copper sheets offered a standout visual with an understated authenticity. 

“We’ve known about Zahner for a long time and wanted to find a way to work together on this project,” Bernstein told us. “Being able to buy the pre-patinated flat sheet copper allowed us to use a very unique surface in a cost effective way.”

Finished in June 2017, the building at 178 North Eleventh is accepting renters of studio, one, two, and three bedroom apartments.

Sign up for the Zahner mailing list to learn more about the latest patinated metal offerings. The complete list of current patina options can be found in the Patina section of the Materials library. To get started with a custom order, contact a member of the Zahner sales team.