written by: Caroline Kruit, International Business Developer voor Metadecor 

A façade with a rugged, rusting surface? We are seeing a lot of it at the moment. It’s nothing new, of course: the oldest façades made from weathering steel (or corten steel, as it’s most commonly called) in the Netherlands have been around for over half a century. At Metadecor, we enjoy working with this type of steel and already completed a wide range of applications and projects using it. Soon, we’ll be able to share new projects: this is a sneak preview and an overview at the same time.

Weathering steel (or corten steel) does come with its own 'manual'. It’s a heavy material (steel is over three times heavier than aluminium) and it releases rust runoff. That last point makes it less suitable for public spaces or areas where the rust (or rusty rainwater) might come into contact with delicate materials. Rust-stained water on glass or concrete can create lasting marks, but a sensible detailing can cover most that risk. Leaning against a rusting façade can leave stains - there is no way around that.

Project De Graafschap in Doetinchem, the Netherlands.

Patterns and forms

But, oh my...  it can be stunning, that rich texture and ever-changing surface colour of rusty steel! Whether the weathering steel is formed into MD Expanded Metal (as at Toyota Handling in Ede, visible from the A12 motorway), or applied as MD Flack (as used for the Villa in Hippolytushoef) - the material has a life of its own. The new car park at the Naturalis museum in Leiden features a striking MD Designperforation pattern in corten steel. As of June 2025, the panels are being assembled at Metadecor’s assembly hall, and the material still has a bluish-grey tone. The panel on our mock-up wall is already showing more orange shades!

Panel for Naturalis museum in Leiden.

Not just industrial

Once reserved for more industrial settings and building types, 'corten' is now also seen in residential and office architecture. For Fugro headquarters in Nootdorp we created MD Flack panels and MD Lamel arrays in weathering steel. In certain areas of the façade, bird nest boxes have been integrated into the panels. The project is now in its final construction phase and will be completed later this year, the façades are already finished.

A whole lot of steel

The Montevideo residential building in Antwerp features a bold corten steel façade using MD Flack, the largest corten project Metadecor has undertaken to date. This project is also nearing completion. As with Fugro, it's not guaranteed that the patina will be fully oxidised by the time of handover: the process goes through several stages and typically takes at least a year to stabilise. It never stops 'rusting' entirely, but to make beautiful photos of an evenly coloured surface just a little patience is necessary.

Project Montevideo in Antwerp, Belgium.

Brutalism with a corten look

The texture and character of “real” weathering steel is hard to fully replicate with a corten-look coating, but the latest developments in this area come impressively close. For the Wisselspoor residential building the entire façade was built using aluminium elements finished with a corten-look coating. The colour and texture contribute significantly to the building’s brutalist appearance.

More and different

Of course, a façade doesn’t have to be entirely made of weathering steel (or a corten-look material). Projects like De Graafschap or the JWF Barracks show that accent elements can also make a strong visual statement. For an international project, we’ve been exploring the use of MD Formatura in weathering steel which has also proven feasible. At Metadecor, we’re always keen to continue exploring the possibilities of bold, rusting façades in collaboration with architects and clients.