Solanum™
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Preweathered Weathering Steel Zahner has more than 40 years of experience and over a hundred projects successfully installed using weathering steel surfaces for architecture and art. We operate out of a facility that is clad in architectural weathering steel. There are no companies with as much experience and expertise in the use of weathering steel in the world. Bill Zahner’s systematic and scientific research has been instrumental in the development of an accelerated patination process. The patina forms on the surface and produces an artistic natural color and texture like no other. This is our Solanum™ Patina. The density of our patina layer and its adherence to the weathering steel surface contributes to the extreme longevity. The process for preweathered Solanum™ Weathering steel accelerates the natural weathering process to arrive at a highly protective, durable mineral l

Our process is proprietary. We inspect each and every plate surface. Each surface is cleaned and prepared to eliminate oxides, greases, and oils. If this step is not carefully followed the finish will not hold up. Once properly prepared, we force the surface to an initial ferric oxide. This finish is slightly orange in color and is characterized by a crusty texture. An orange patina is not a permanent patina. A finish with yellow and orange will rub off, it will continue to darken, bleed, and stain adjoining surfaces. Orange is soluble. Within our facility, we allow this orange-toned oxide...

Our steel stains less. Weathering steel is known for staining adjacent surfaces with iron oxide as the material continues to age. Our preweathering process reduces and often eliminates staining of surrounding surfaces. Guggenheim Hermitage Museum; Architect: OMA. ½” Solanum™ Steel. The process was used on the interior walls of the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada. For this project we oxidized and preweathered over 100 tons of weathering steel. Because it was used as the interior walls of the museum, the surface had to be perfect. They came to Zahner® to create it. Telluride...

Vail Residence Project: Location: Architect: Services Provided: Solanum™ Weathering Steel, “Vail Residence” in Vail, Colorado. Vail Residence Vail Colorado James Dayton Design Design Assist, Engineering, Fabrication, and Installation. Architect: James Dayton (612) 338.0

Project: Location: Architect: Services Provided: Trinity River Audubon Center Dallas, Texas Antoine Predock Associates Design Assist, Engineering, Fabrication, and Installation. The subtly curving skin was punctured by multiple idiosyncratically placed apertures and the metal panel joints were carefully designed to work into the overall design effect. Architect: Antoine Predock (505) 843-7390 Solanum™ Weathering Steel, Trinity River Audubon Center. Trinity River

Project: Location: Owner: Architect: Services Provided: Project Duration: References: Kansas City Art Institute Screen Gates Kansas City, Missouri; KCAI Campus The Kansas City Art Institute Gastinger Walker Harden Architects Design Assist, Engineering & Fabrication, Delivery & Installation. Working with the Gastinger, Zahner® translated the pattern into machine language to custom perforate the panels. March 2006 - July 2006 Architect: Kirk Gastinger (816) 569-0813 Solanum™ Weathering Steel, detail of the Kansas City Art Institute “Screen Gates”

Project: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Location: Kansas City, Missouri Architect: Steven Holl Architects Services Provided: Design Assist, Engineering & Fabrication, Delivery & Installation. Solanum™ Weathering steel panels were installed in the garage addition at Reference: James Dayton (612) 338-0005