Metal as an Architectural Material

In the work of AND Studio Architects, metal is never merely a cladding material or an added technical component. It is a substance capable of shaping identity, modulating light, expressing the passage of time, and establishing a dialogue between architecture, space, and detail.

At the bank headquarters in Bientina, weathering steel defines the building’s character through a vibrant, irregular, and ever-changing surface. The façade records the effects of exposure to the elements, developing rich tones ranging from deep brown to red and transforming the building envelope into a skin that evolves over time. Metal enters into dialogue with glass and lighter architectural elements, creating a carefully balanced relationship between solidity, transparency, and precision.

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At the new Giuntini Model-Making Workshop, by contrast, metal becomes structure, circulation and a means of articulating the interior space. Conceived as a continuous volume, the staircase cuts through the existing industrial setting without concealing its original character. The black finish absorbs the light, accentuates the geometry and reinforces the presence of the original columns and beams. More than a simple vertical connection, it is an architectural device that choreographs views, movement and moments of pause.

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In the Macan & Sotheby’s Entrance Portal, metal takes on a more refined, almost artisanal dimension. The interplay of solid and void filters the view, allows light to pass through, and creates a distinctive threshold. The large handles, designed as independent elements, combine brass and wood, introducing the gesture of the hand into the architectural composition. Detail thus becomes an integral part of the project, expressing identity, proportion, and construction quality.

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At Palazzo San Jacopo, metal becomes light, geometric, and luminous. Brise-soleil, balustrades, and perforated surfaces reinterpret motifs drawn from the historic city through a contemporary architectural language. The openings cut into the sheet metal transform natural light into a pattern of signs, casting onto the walls an abstract memory of windows, façades, and the urban fabric.

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Across these projects, metal changes in appearance and function: it may be tactile and weathered, dark and structural, refined in its detailing, or as delicate as a filter. Yet its role remains constant: to shape architecture through time, light, and a direct relationship with those who inhabit it. An ancient yet industrial material, continually reinterpreted to create places that are distinctive, enduring, and profoundly contemporary.