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Case Study

The Ulsan Metropolitan Library

Whether searching for a book, study space, movie theater or outdoor activities, visitors to the library can find them all here. When designers chose to evoke the shape of a whale for the new library, they trusted Novelis’ ColorisTM pre-painted aluminum for the facade.

Completed in April 2018, Ulsan’s largest local community library is visited by thousands of people every day. Inside are children’s and digital-media libraries, a multicultural section with materials in numerous languages, touch screens to access publications, a café, a cafeteria and event spaces.

Outside is a rooftop garden, as well as a playground, waterfall and walkways along nearby Yeocheon Creek. Overlooking these surroundings is the massive building with the flowing form of a whale, a symbol of the port city, covered in Coloris pre-painted aluminum, a product known for its strength and formability.

City: Ulsan
Country: South Korea
Products: Coloris pre-painted aluminum
Application: Facade cladding

Color: Bright Silver
Thickness: 2 mm
Architect: Hangrim Architects
Installation: Hanyang

Movement in Metal

Capturing movement in metal is not simple. Novelis aluminum is easy to work, and Coloris allowed the designers and builders of The Ulsan Metropolitan Library to achieve the aluminum facade they wanted, minimize weight, but still ensure strength. The Coloris alloy enables construction at the same strength as conventional alloys at a third less weight due to reduced material thickness.

Produced by continuous roll coating using high-quality PVdF (polyvinylidene fluoride) paints, Coloris provides consistent surface quality and durability. For facades, this is especially important. Moreover, with Ulsan a seaport, this Novelis aluminum helps protect the structure from the effects of corrosion, the weather and ultraviolet rays. This means longer life and less maintenance.

Equally important in such a space is the fire resistance of Coloris. The material is non-combustible and the coating technique provides consistency in the thickness, which is required by international building codes for fire resistance.

Expected to be a benchmark in Korean architecture, The Ulsan Metropolitan Library demonstrates Novelis’ material advantages over conventional post-painted aluminum panels, long considered the norm.

Produced from sheet that is treated and cleaned, Novelis pre-painted aluminum is then roll-coated. This continuous coating process is superior to the typical process, which is to take a finished piece and spray coat it. The uniformity of color and quality is unmatched in the Coloris process. This is a standardized process that produces greater consistency in color and quality than post-painted panels.

A local supply and services in South Korea also offer a greater value to our customers.