Warm tones, new shapes: rethinking architectural tubing

Bespoke brass, bronze and copper-based tubing for interiors and decorative applications

Brass, bronze and gold-tone metals are firmly in the architectural spotlight. Brass and bronze may be the best-known warm metals in architecture, but they belong to a much broader family of copper-based materials. Timeless Tube can cold-form a range of copper and copper-alloy non-circular tubing in brass, bronze, copper and 90/10 cupronickel, giving designers more choice over colour, performance, finish and form.

From handrails to decorative metalwork: the charming allure of copper-based alloys

From aged and burnished surfaces to rich polished finishes, warm metals continue to feature prominently across contemporary interiors, hospitality spaces and architectural detailing. Current design commentary points not simply to a particular colour trend, but to a wider appetite for tactile materials, characterful surfaces and metals that interact with light.

Architectural Digest describes bronze as leading the metal palette with its “earthy patina”, while British Vogue has highlighted “tactile metalwork” and the increasingly sculptural role of metal within interiors.

For architects and designers, however, there is another variable to consider alongside material and finish: the shape of the metal itself.

Brass and bronze handrails, balustrades and decorative features don't have to be designed around conventional round tube. Timeless Tube can form suitable brass and bronze tubing into oval, flat-sided oval, twisted and bespoke profiles — giving designers considerably more freedom over proportion, grip, reflection and architectural detail.

“We form considerably less brass and copper-based tubing than tubes made from stainless steel, but the brass and copper-alloy enquiries we receive are often for standout architectural projects where the details really matter,” says Timeless Tube Managing Director Tom McMillan. “These are projects where designers don't want to compromise their original vision simply because the profile they want isn't available as a standard tube.”‍

Brass is Timeless Tube's most popular copper-based material, but it isn't a direct substitute for stainless steel. Its different mechanical properties mean that, for some high-use applications, a thicker tube wall is needed to achieve the required shape, rigidity or durability. Timeless Tube work with designers and fabricators to consider the intended use at the design stage. "We help to turn architectural designs into manufacturable tube profiles...from understated, elegant oval for elegant handrails to highly decorative twisted forms for architectural trims" adds McMillan.

Timeless Tube mainly form from CZ108 brass (also known as basis brass). This widely used grade has good ductility and cold-forming characteristics, making it particularly well suited to the shaped and bent tube profiles we manufacture. It also offers good general corrosion resistance, making it a versatile choice for many architectural and interior applications.

Uncoated copper-based tubes for a look that changes with time

Exposure, handling and environmental conditions can alter the surface of uncoated brass, bronze and cupronickel, which all 'age' over time. This natural, ageing aesthetic is sometimes enhanced by specialist finishing and patination techniques.

"The appearance and ageing behaviour depend on the particular alloy, finish, coating, environment and maintenance regime, which we encourage our clients to consider when specifying a material." explains McMillan. "Although there has has been a notable shift away from highly-polished mirrored brass in favour an untreated look for architectural metalwork, tubing can be alternatively be polished with a non-reflective brushed grain or coated where a more consistent appearance is required."

A twist on conventional forms for retail, hospitality and luxury interiors

In hospitality and luxury interiors, the possibilities extend well beyond handrails. Even relatively slender pieces of tubing can become a distinctive part of the overall design. Repeated profiles can create rhythm within screens or partitions, while shaped furniture tubes provide an elegant tactility to chairs and table legs.

Twisted tubes made from twisted oval and twisted square tubes are a striking example of this. Rather than light falling uniformly across a round surface, the changing geometry creates highlights, reflections and shadow along the length of the tube — turning a functional section into a decorative feature in its own right. Engineers at Timeless Tube are able to alter the pitch and direction of the twist, allowing clients to choose a tight, regular twist, or a more organic, sculptural aesthetic, with a looser twist that changes from clockwise to anti-clockwise at irregular intervals.

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Looking for the appearance of bronze? Consider cupronickel.

Bronze - an alloy of copper and tin - may be the familiar choice for warm-toned architectural metalwork, but it isn't the only option.

90/10 cupronickel has a naturally warm colour that can look similar to some bronzes, with a visible surface that gradually changes from its natural pinkish-grey towards brown-grey as it weathers. It is worth considering where the aesthetic of bronze is wanted but the specification or budget calls for an alternative.

Timeless Tube can form 90/10 cupronickel into our distinctive non-circular profiles, including oval and flat-sided oval tubing. The alloy combines its warm appearance with excellent corrosion resistance. Cupronickel (or cupro-nickel) develops a thin protective surface film in seawater, which is fundamental to its corrosion performance and is the reason why the metal has proven to be so resilient in demanding marine environments.

For architects, designers and fabricators, this copper and nickel alloy offers another option when designing handrails, balustrades, furniture and decorative architectural metalwork.

Coloured and coated stainless steel and aluminium for handrails and furniture

Solid brass, bronze and cupronickel aren't the only ways to introduce warm metallic tones into a project. For applications where durability, corrosion resistance and ease of maintenance are priorities, stainless steel can provide an alternative base material.

"We regularly form bespoke stainless steel profiles that are subsequently coloured or coated by specialist finishers. For handrails, balustrades, screens, furniture and other high-touch architectural features, this can be particularly useful where the appearance of a warm metal is wanted alongside the robustness and relatively straightforward maintenance associated with stainless steel. And when cost and lightness are key specifications for applications such as decorative facades, aluminium tubes are another attractive alternative. " explains MD Tom McMillan.

"One of my favourite examples of coloured stainless steel is a mixed metallic coffee table commission by Gigi Aelbers (Synergigi), designed from our 47 x 25mm stainless steel oval tubes. Colour-coating stainless steel can give architects and designers considerable freedom" adds McMillan.

PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) is an option used by some of Timeless Tube's clients to colour stainless steel. PVD creates a thin, durable decorative surface that can colour stainless steel and its given finish, with popular colours including Champagne gold and lighter brass tones to bronze, copper and darker finishes.

Oval, flat-sided oval, twisted and bespoke stainless steel tubes can all create very different effects depending on whether a high mirror polish, brushed satin grain or colour coating is applied. Because the geometry changes the way light travels across the surface, the same PVD or coloured finish can look dramatically different on a shaped profile than it does on conventional round tube.

PVD suitability, colour, surface preparation and performance depend on the specification and finishing process. Timeless Tube forms the tubing; specialist finishes can be applied subsequently according to project requirements. To discover more about PVD coating visit Plasma Vac's website.