When converting an old warehouse to a shared office space, it’s important to consider how the exterior signage will complement the building’s historic features. Corten steel is an excellent choice for aged architecture because of its unique, weathered look. We recently worked with The Iron Gate and Oxford Architecture to create corten steel signage for their new offices in Nashville, TN. Let’s take a look at these beautiful, rustic signs!

We love the look of these corten steel signs against the old brick of this newly renovated building. 

Back in February, we wrote an article about the corten steel signs, also called weathering steel signs, we fabricated and installed for several new businesses that were moving into the newly renovated Oak Barrel Building on Sidco Drive. (We worked with Pfeffer Torode Architecture on that project.) The Iron Gate and Oxford Architecture recently moved into the same building, so similar signage was required. The photo below shows a couple of the signs that were installed earlier this year.

These corten steel signs were among the first installed on the historic Oak Barrel building in Nashville.

Corten is a copper chromium alloy steel which is corrosion resistant. The beauty and unique character of the metal comes from the rust-like patina that develops on the outside layer when left uncoated. Once the rust patina layer is in place, the corrosion rate then drastically slows down, and the beautiful, unique finish remains.

Two signs were fabricated for this project. For the logo sign, a water jet was used to cut both company logos out of a 4’ x 3′ sheet of corten steel that was ¼” thick. A 4′ x 8″ address number sign was also created to go below the logo sign. We installed both signs on the brick using standoffs. Here’s a close up look at the larger sign. Looks like this sign has been there for a while, doesn’t it? That’s what makes corten steel so cool!

We love the unique look created by the beautiful, rust-like patina on each corten steel sign!

Another reason why corten steel signage is perfect for historic buildings is because the signs will never look the same. The rust finish will look a little different on each sign. This unique characteristic is one more reason why we love corten steel signage!

Do you own or lease a building that would look great with rustic, industrial signage? Or do you have another type of sign in mind? We design and fabricate custom signs using a wide variety of materials. To learn more about the materials we use for dimensional signage, read this article: Accentuate Your Brand with Custom Dimensional Signage.

In addition to custom lobby & logo signs, we also specialize in branded interiors, window graphics, wall murals, architectural displays, custom projects, and vehicle advertising wraps. We’re delighted to serve Nashville and surrounding towns in Middle Tennessee, including Franklin, Brentwood, Lebanon, Smyrna, Murfreesboro, and Spring Hill.

For more information about corten steel signs or our other custom products, give us a call at (615) 595-6564, click on the button below, or come visit our shop. Consultations and estimates are always free!