Woodwards Building W Tower

Reaching high into the Vancouver sky, the windowed walls of the Woodwards Building W Tower are laced with columns of intricately etched decorative panels depicting tangled branches. These panels take advantage of the increased corrosion protection of a duplex system. For projects that require a particular color scheme, duplexing is a good way to get the corrosion-resistant protection of galvanizing, while allowing a structure to incorporate any color desired.

...the galvanized steel will protect the core of the panels, preventing unsafe deterioration created by corrosion.

Duplex systems combine the superior protection of galvanized steel with the additional benefits of another corrosion protection system such as powder coating or paint to extend the life of the piece even further.

The extended time-to-first maintenance of galvanized steel, combined with the additional durability created when using these two systems in tandem, means the typical repetitive, scheduled maintenance for paint on bare steel will be significantly reduced, and no unsightly paint peeling or rust bleeding will occur.

Instead, the galvanized steel will protect the core of the panels, preventing unsafe deterioration created by corrosion. With this protection, ivy-filled planter boxes on every third floor of the building will be free to grow and mimic the floral patterns on the screens themselves, unperturbed by touch-up crews and high-rise maintenance equipment.

With more than 760 housing units, as well as the David Suzuki foundation and Simon Fraser University Downtown campus, currently occupying the W Tower, the building owners can little afford to waste time and money on maintenance. The duplex system will protect the steel panels from the inside out, while allowing the bright coloring consistent with the architects vision to exist free of corrosion.