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Design Inspiration

7 Metal Screen Facade Design Ideas

December 20, 2021
7 Metal Screen Facade Design Ideas

Lots of attention is paid to interior design, but it’s the exterior of a building that makes the first impression to those entering or just passing by. The impact of the exterior can enhance branding, add practical elements like lighting and shelter, and guide the building’s aesthetics. 

Here at Arktura, we offer an abundance of metal screen facade design ideas, many of which were featured in an ArchDaily article highlighting the function, performance and beauty of these architectural systems.

To make a bold statement, metal screen facades shape the exterior and can be customized to your exact specifications. We have a range of standard and customized solutions that can be integrated with other features such as integrated backlighting and custom imagery.

1. Backlit Brilliance

Exterior view of a commercial building with gold backlighting at its entrance. There is a person wearing a white shirt and black pants entering the building.
“1676 International Boulevard” Tysons, VA, Perkins + Will – DC, Halkin Mason Photography, Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions Exterior by Arktura

Integrating backlighting into a metal exterior facade not only adds safety and visibility to an entrance but also creates a touch of aesthetic brilliance. Perforations of different sizes and densities will allow you to replicate glittering stars shining in the night.

This image shows two pictures. The left image is looking up at the gold and warm lights. On the right is a close-up image showing the perforations in the siding.
“1676 International Boulevard” Tysons, VA, Perkins + Will – DC, Halkin Mason Photography (Photographer), Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions Exterior by Arktura

Graphic Perf® Solutions Exterior works well with a continuous pattern aesthetic, so no matter how large the panels are or how much space they cover, the pattern will flow seamlessly across the exterior space.

This image shows two entrances. Both of the same building, the left image shows the LexisNexis building in purple lighting. The right image shows the building with light blue lighting.
“160 W Santa Clara” San Jose, CA, ESI, Featuring: Vapor® Graphic Perf® by Arktura

Integrated lighting can be customized to the building’s exterior needs and design goals. This custom design utilizes RGB lighting in concert with Vapor® Graphic Perf® that turns walls, ceiling tiles and exterior facades into a limitless canvas, transferring any image or pattern onto a unique design element. 

2. Vertical Tube Screens

This commercial building has tan siding with the entryway having vertical tub screens.
“UNLV Hospitality Hall” Las Vegas, NV, Carpenter Sellers Del Gatto Architects – CSD – NV, Featuring: Secare® by Arktura

Vertical tube screens are one of the most unique metal screen facade designs. The round or square tubing of Secare® creates multi-dimensional, preassembled modules for depth and dimension on the exterior.

A person wearing a black suit is standing in front of a Secare® tube screen.
“UNLV Hospitality Hall” Las Vegas, NV, Carpenter Sellers Del Gatto Architects – CSD – NV, Featuring: Secare® by Arktura

Secare® can also be integrated with HVAC systems, plumbing, AV equipment and life-saving systems for the ultimate customization experience, allowing you to get the look you want without sacrificing function. 

3. Custom Image Perforation Designs

This image shows two pictures. The left shows metal panels that allow a picture of a bird to form. The right image is a close-up image of the letters on the same building.
“SECTA” Las Vegas, NV, Pugsley. Simpson. Coulter., Art Gray Photography (Photographer), Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions by Arktura

Using a metal screen facade to enhance branding is easy with Vapor® Graphic Perf®. This system offers two ways to create an image in perforated metal panels — Photoreal and Scripted.

This image shows a building with bathrooms in Santa Monica Beach. There is detailed imagery on the outside of the bathrooms, and “Arizona Ave” is spelled out on the siding.
“Santa Monica Beach” Santa Monica, CA, RNT Architects & Adrian Gaus Architects Inc., Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions by Arktura

This custom rainscreen at the Santa Monica Beach does double duty, creating a beautiful aesthetic and protecting the restrooms at the rest area. 

To achieve this detailed imagery, the custom Graphic Perf® installation features differing perforation sizes and density, creating an image on each metal screen facade that is tailored to each restroom’s location.

This building in Nashville, TN features Arktura’s Graphic Perf® Custom Photoreal Exterior treatment.
“BNA – Signature Terminal” Nashville, TN, Schenkel Shultz Architecture, Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions by Arktura

At this Fixed-Base Operator (FBO) location, private jets service a range of clients and passengers and offer excellent service. To welcome passengers, our installation of an extensive Graphic Perf® Custom Photoreal Exterior treatment pays homage to Nashville’s musical history. This metal screen facade integrates the personal touch of a mural, but with a modern twist.

4. Modern Geometric Screens

This image is looking up at a building with a living green wall on the siding.
“555 Robson – Green Wall Page” Vancouver, BC, MCM Interiors Ltd., Featuring: Vapor® Cora by Arktura

This unique exterior application of Vapor® Cora as a metal screen facade protects the building while adding a stunning design element. As an integral part of the building’s living green wall, the metal screen facade rises up multiple stories, adding design support to the metal trellises for plants to climb.

This image is looking up at a building with a living green wall on the siding. It is a close-up image to show the Cora pattern.
“555 Robson – Green Wall Page” Vancouver, BC, MCM Interiors Ltd., Featuring: Vapor® Cora by Arktura

Despite the enormous size of this installation, the pattern transitions seamlessly from panel to panel for continuity. The functionality of these panels is also clear in this application as the panels not only fill the gap in the green wall but also cover the vents on the back of the building. Because of this, the panels needed to be over 50% open, making the Cora pattern the perfect choice to merge form and function.

5. Large Bent Panels

 Upclose image of the Tesla building, It has white siding with a blue sky in the background.
“Tesla” Santa Monica, CA, Michael W. Folonis Architects, Art Gray Photography (Photographer), Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions by Arktura

Large bent panels provide an unexpected twist in metal screen facade design. For the Tesla building in Santa Monica, CA, we used our proprietary software to create a design that captures the relationship between magnetic flux and electron decay, translating it into an architectural form on this complex curved exterior.

The Tesla building at night. It has white siding with cars in the showroom. There are palm trees next to the building.
“Tesla” Santa Monica, CA, Michael W. Folonis Architects, Art Gray Photography (Photographer), Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions by Arktura

The Solutions Studio® created this Graphic Perf® system to act as a functional element, filtering heat and sunlight and also serving as a rain shield while representing the electric propulsion’s linear energy release.

This close-up image shows a building with silver siding with openings. There is a window and balcony shown in the image with green siding.
“Elysian Fields” Los Angeles, CA, Warren Techentin Architecture, Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions by Arktura

The perforated panels that gently curve around the windows on the Elysian Fields building in Los Angeles, CA pays homage to neighborhood automotive body shops. The flared voids create space for residents to open their expansive sliding windows.

This image shows a building with silver siding with openings. There is a window and balcony shown in the image with red siding.
“Elysian Fields” Los Angeles, CA, Warren Techentin Architecture, Featuring: Graphic Perf® Solutions by Arktura

Varying window sizes support a dynamic exterior as the large bent panels adjust to each window size, protecting the interior from sunlight, wind and rain.

6. Vibrant Screens

This building has red siding. There are plants outside of the building next to the sidewalk.
“2100 Grand Page” Los Angeles, CA, HLW Architecture, Featuring: Solutions Studio® – Custom Rain Screens by Arktura

To further customize any design, our panels are powder-coated aluminum and are available in a range of colors from bold Spirit Red and vibrant Sunflower to cool Blue Steel and soothing Forest Green.

Choosing to add color to the metal screen facade makes a statement and draws attention to the exterior of the building. It can also enhance branding and start an experience before anyone even enters.

7. Modular Screens

These side-by-side images show the Morgan Phoa Library and Residence. The black perforated siding lets natural light into the space.
“Silver Lake Screens” Los Angeles, CA, Zoltan E. Pali + Studio Pali Fekete Architects, Featuring: Solutions Studio® – Custom Rain Screens by Arktura

The modular metal screen facade installed at the Morgan Phoa Library and Residence is unique in its operability. In addition to protecting the exterior, acting as a sun and rain screen, and providing privacy, they can also be opened to create unobstructed views and welcome copious amounts of sunlight.

Interior view of the Morgan Phoa Library and Residence. The perforated siding lets specs of light into the library.
“Silver Lake Screens” Los Angeles, CA, Zoltan E. Pali + Studio Pali Fekete Architects, Roland Halbe (Photographer), Featuring: Solutions Studio® – Custom Rain Screens by Arktura

Many metal screen facades make a stunning statement on the exterior, but once inside, they can’t be seen or don’t contribute to the interior aesthetic. That isn’t the case with this design.

The perforations in these bronze anodized aluminum panels allow dappled sunlight to play in the personal library, creating movement and light throughout the space and letting the exterior leave an impression on the interior.

Arktura’s Metal Screen Facades

Metal screen facades not only protect a building from the elements, but they also add an aesthetic touch that can make a bold branding statement or act as a functional element as operable screens — or they can be all of the above. 

The options are endless, and our experts at Arktura will guide you through the design process to ensure you’re getting the perfect product, whether it’s a standard application or a custom solution with our Solutions Studio®To begin designing a unique metal screen facade, contact us today.


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