The Requirement
A prestigious residential block in London’s Knightsbridge was designed to feature stripes, or ‘fins’, of beautiful anodised aluminium running vertically up the building. The metallic sheen of these vertical fins would form a continual line giving a stylish and contrasting definition to the pale red brick of the exterior. The window sills would also be anodised aluminium.
The aluminium fins are 4m in length and intended to be seamlessly joined after anodising to provide the effect of one continuous metallic stripe. It quickly became apparent that the anodising process was not able to provide a consistent shade on the metal. Every strip was a slightly different colour and once erected on the building the patchwork effect was untidy and unsatisfactory. The smallest inconsistencies in shade, within an area intended to be homogenous, will mar an intended visual effect.
