Grand Reflections

Grand Reflections

Innovative Melbournian architecture has delivered a striking stainless steel feature in the city’s latest commercial mixed-use development.

Melbourne is setting the benchmark for world-class design with Collins Square now one of Australia’s largest CBD commercial precincts, covering an entire city block on Collins Street. Already home to a number of leading global corporations and the revitalised heritage-listed Southern Goods Shed, the $2.5 billion project will at completion comprise of five commercial towers and over 10,000sqm of retail space.

Black mirror finish stainless steel columns are the focal point in the lobbies and food precincts of Towers Two and Four of Collins Square. Soaring an impressive 10m to 12m tall at a diameter of 1300mm, the stainless steel-clad columns are complemented by floor-to-ceiling window glass and natural stone masonry walls and floors.

ASSDA Member Fabmetal Specialists supplied, fabricated and installed the grade 304 stainless steel circular columns, using its own patented column cladding system. Twenty stainless steel clad columns were installed across the two towers.

Fabmetal Specialists’ pre-fabricated the customised stainless steel column panels from 1.2mm sheet, and using a modular cladding method, installed the panels with a unique fixing system allowing no visible fixings or caulked joints.

Coloured stainless steel in a No. 8 mirror finish from the company’s TiVox range was used for the project and specified for its upmarket appeal and elegant aesthetics. In addition, stainless steel also offers durability and ease-of-use during construction.

Providing a true mirror reflection, the black chromatic colour (known as ‘Jet Mirror’ in the TiVox range) was achieved with a titanium film using a Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) coating process. The coating technology offers a number of high chemical and technical features, including resistance to abrasion, scratches and corrosion, and overall minimal maintenance.

The end result is an innovatory, high quality stainless steel finish, bringing life to the surrounding activity of Melbourne’s place-to-be for business and leisure.

This article featured in Australian Stainless magazine - Issue 62 Winter 2018.