Steel Sculpture: Metal in a Shiny Dress

The art of steel

Stainless steel has infiltrated every facet of our lives, so it comes as no surprise that steel is also used as an art form material. Stainless steel first found popularity as an art material during the art deco period. The most famous example of stainless steel art from this period is the upper portion of the Chrysler Building. As stainless steel became more and more popular in art, it also became popular in the commercial sector ad architectural art statements. Again, the Chrysler building stands out. Other venues for this architectural art were diners and fast food establishments that proudly displayed large ornamental panels, stainless steel fixtures and also stainless steel furniture. Because of the durability of this material, many of these buildings continue to retain their original look with little or now wear apparent.

Steel in architecture and design

Everyone has seen the Gateway Arch; this architectural masterpiece is clad completely in stainless steel. It contains 886 tons of the material. Two of the tallest sky scrapers; the Petronas Twin Towers and the Jin Mao Buildings both used stainless steel on their exteriors. The Parliament House of Australia located in Canberra boasts a 220 ton stainless steel flagpole. The Edmonton Composting Facility?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s aeration building is the size of approximately fourteen hockey rinks and is considered to be the largest stainless steel building in North America. The United States Air Force Memorial is clad in a skin of austenitic stainless steel. In 2006, the Atomium in Brussels, Belgium underwent a complete renovation and is now clad in stainless steel. Before the renovation, the structure was completely clad in aluminum. There are a myriad of other artistic forms that are created using stainless steel. The city of Brea in California created a city ordinance that required art to be placed in front of any new structures. For the most part, all of this art is created from stainless steel due to not only the durability, but also the beauty of the material.