Stainless Steel by Planium: the Timeless

Brushed Steel

Stainless Steel has long been considered a “must” for architects, designers, engineers: this is because it is a metal with high aesthetic but also mechanical characteristics that prevents those who use it from having to spend a lot of money in the long term for restoration and maintenance, as it avoids wear and corrosion. Therefore, it is continuously used in architecture both to set up “cold” scenarios, in interior design, and for exteriors of a certain grandeur and elegance often based on the somewhat “mirroring” virtues of its silvery chromatism. Frank Gehry, William Van Alen and Norman Foster are just some of the famous architects who have used steel to give lustre to their creativity.

Planium offers it in both the smooth and embossed versions. The diversification in the choice of texture to cover floors and walls is not limited to this: smooth steel is brushed or satin-finished; for those who want an even more elaborate version of steel, satin finishing can also be achieved in an orthogonal manner to obtain a “canvas”. There is therefore both a tactile and aesthetic difference between these types of processing of the same Stainless Steel.

A rather used option for floors also because of its optimal conditions related to friction and trampling, is the aforementioned Embossed. This steel is characterized by a very ancient process, one of the oldest found: the engraved surface acquires its own particular aesthetic conformation very recognizable among many, with its own connotation that knows how to stand out.

The types of Stainless Steel used by Planium are AISI 430, AISI 304 and AISI 441.

But let's also take a concrete look at some of Planium's installation projects of recent years, to understand how this material marries not only the past but also the present.

The Charm of Minimalism: Smooth Steel

One of the most important projects of Planium realized in recent years with stainless steel was the Parisian restaurant Marsan for Helene Darroze located on the historic and somewhat “literary” Rive Gauche of the Ville Lumière. Here the personal choice went in the direction of stainless steel with canvas processing - and therefore with double satin finishing - also to remain in the context of elegance and refinement that the place evokes; the installation system adopted is one-click PL01, very quick to install.

Of similar elegance, but in a very different context, is the Ceramiche Coem stand (a Temporary Work Space) in the Modena area: here the smooth brushed steel, laid on the floor with the SM02 Evolution system, perfectly marries the surrounding contextual idea: the scenic effect of the whole offers a sense of minimal preciousness on the one hand and hygiene on the other, due to the intrinsic qualities of the steel. In this sense, it can be noted that, even on a visual level, smooth steel gives a sense of order and tranquility to interiors, giving the furnishings a stasis that allows for different color combinations, since it is a material that can marry different elements and heterogeneous metals.

Embossed: Puma Headquarters, Porsche Museum, Poste Italiane

As mentioned, embossed has its own “scenography” that is slightly different from that of classic stainless steel.

Even Puma’s headquarters in Milan has chosen Planium stainless steel: here they opted for the embossed finish, laid with SM01 Sistemamen. The combination of a “modern” casual brand and a historical-style flooring creates an interesting and non-trivial contrast. The installation system adopted also guarantees the presence of corner screws in the slabs, giving an underlying industrial tone that at the time anticipated the return of this trend, which is back in vogue today, which takes inspiration from an American style and in particular from New York after the Second World War.

The Planium embossed tile laid with SM01 Sistemamen is also the protagonist of the Stuttgart project (2000) to pave the Porsche Museum booth: the renowned car brand chose the Milanese brand for an exhibition area of undoubted elegance, in line with its history: in this case, thanks also to the Planium floor, a very clear and bright display character prevailed.

Two more creative and particular styles could be defined as those of a stand of Poste Italiane in Milan and the Levi's Store in Carugate, profoundly different despite having in common the use of the same material: here the silvery shine of the embossed tile marries in the first case the "cold" tone of the Blue on the wall, while in the second it accentuates the "industrial" character, with a strong presence of orange in the stand that makes the whole veer towards a virtuous hot-cold contrast.