In a classic New York tale, plucky Chemetal goes the extra mile to land an office job in the big city.
Chemetal, the Massachusetts manufacturer of metal designs, leapt to the challenge to deliver nearly 1,400 sheets of a custom Chemetal “Gunmetal” that help define the trading floors of JPMorganChase’s new global headquarters at 270 Park Avenue.To some, it’s a sweeping reimagination of the modern workplace, to others, it’s a Midtown monster (either way, we find JPMorganChase’s leader Jamie Dimon to be an inspirational and pragmatic leader).
Designed by Foster + Partners, the signature skyscraper’s distinctive exterior features angled fan columns that support the future of finance at an extraordinary scale. This includes what has been described as New York City’s most advanced trading environment. (continued…)
A trading floor with no tradeoffs.
The trading floors, with interiors by global architectural and design giant, SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill) span approximately 500,000 square feet, accommodating 4,000 traders across 8 floors of double-height suites. SOM emphasized daylight, materiality, and visual continuity throughout.
That’s why material selection played an essential role in shaping the experience. It’s also where Chemetal came in. SOM planned to echo the building’s exposed steel supports throughout. SOM’s envisioned a gunmetal finish designed at scale to complement the project’s sizeable architectural expression They approached Chemetal in search of a darkened metal finish to clad large structural elements being built by All Craft, part of The Donaldson Organization, a New York and Long Island-based construction leader. (continued…)
It’s always exciting to walk out of Grand Central into the thrall of Manhattan. To see this impressive new building and know that Chemetal played a role is so gratifying. It makes me want to throw on an ‘I Love NY’ t-shirt and belt out a Broadway classic.”
— Geoff Schaefer, Creative Director/President, Chemetal
Chemetal presents myriad choices, and a solution.
The company offers a massive collection of more than 100 metal designs, and many dark industrial tones, but SOM requested a custom match. Chemetal’s in-house production team at the company’s 72,000-square-foot western Massachusetts factory collaborated on several iterations. The design and sales squad reached out to the company’s domestic anodized aluminum suppliers to develop a range of gunmetal options for SOM’s review. “We came to this project with a deep bench and many tools in our toolbox,” says Chemetal Creative Director and President Geoff Schaefer. “We still had to hustle to find the best fit for the project. It’s part of what makes Chemetal such a complete collection of metals for interior spaces.” (continued…)
Gunmetal in design is really a color name signifying a dark, flat hue, sometimes with a blue undertone (which the custom color used in this project doesn’t have). While Chemetal has generally avoided using “gunmetal” as a standard product name (not to glorify anything “gun”) we have an impressive collection of popular blackened metals with myriad design and pricing options. Explore them all.
A finish is selected. Another race begins.
SOM landed on a custom “gunmetal” anodized aluminum, sourced domestically and made in USA. Once approved, the timeline accelerated. Factory visits by All Craft and contractor teams, accompanied by representatives from Manhattan Laminates, Chemetal’s longtime New York distributor, gained final approval on color and delivery for more than 15,000 pounds of anodized aluminum sheets. Chemetal’s custom gunmetal finish complements the building’s design vision with a refined industrial aesthetic that’s both contemporary and timeless. Its dark metal tone aligns with the tower’s architectural language, echoing its structural expression while adding depth and understated sophistication.
“It’s always exciting to walk out of Grand Central into the thrall of Manhattan,” says Schaefer. “To see this impressive new building and know that Chemetal played a role is so gratifying. It makes me want to throw on an ‘I Love NY’ t-shirt and belt out a Broadway classic.”
What is Anodized Aluminum?
Anodizing is a manufacturing process that mimics aluminum naturally creating a coating to seal its microscopic pores. In manufacturing, anodizing creates a protective coating to which color can be added, creating brass, copper, stainless, or, in this case, gunmetal appearances. Chemetal’s anodized aluminums offer consistency, affordability and fabrication ease, since aluminum can be bent and cut more easily. Explore all of Chemetal’s Anodized Aluminums, or 900 Series “Anodized Classics.”
