The client came to us with a battered, old warehouse, and wanted us to breathe new life into it. Located directly on the water, in a place called Manatee Pocket, it is currently covered in faded, light gray corrugated panels, and simply acts as a storage shed, but we saw the potential. We went on to reskin the building, add a mezzanine, and create an exterior stair to bring people up to the new mezzanine, without compromising the important floor space below.
Being on the water, we knew that water would be a focal point, but how do you incorporate the ideas of water, without just simply painting it blue, or making it reflective? We decided to use a material that was not influenced by water, but affected by it. By wrapping the building in COR-TEN steel, the building can then be at the hands of water, with the weathering steel changing over time, with a purpose rusted finish that doesn’t compromise the integrity of the building.
