La Maison Cortenys tells the story
The Story of Corten
The steel that becomes art with time
Some materials are shaped; others tell a story. Corten steel belongs to the latter. Born to endure, it learned to age more gracefully than any other. This is its story, as we live it at La Maison Cortenys.
The La Maison Cortenys film: our vision of Corten, told in our own words.
1933
A steel that protects itself
Pittsburgh, the early 1930s. Engineers are searching for a steel that can weather the seasons without paint, for the wagons carrying ore across America. They find something better than a resistant steel: a steel that defends itself.
Under rain and sun, its surface forms a dense, tight patina that slows corrosion rather than surrendering to it. It is given a name built from its two promises: CORrosion and TENsile, resistance to corrosion and mechanical strength. Cor-Ten is born.
1964
Architecture falls in love
Thirty years later, architect Eero Saarinen designs the John Deere headquarters in Illinois. He wants a building that melts into the prairie and into time. He chooses Corten, raw and unadorned. The world discovers that steel can wear the colors of autumn.
In 1967, Picasso's monumental sculpture rises in Chicago, in Corten steel. An industrial material becomes a noble one. It leaves the rails and enters the city.
1970 · 1998
Corten enters the museum
Richard Serra makes it his language. His vast curved sheets of steel, which visitors walk through like frozen waves, carry Corten into the world's greatest museums.
In 1998, Antony Gormley's Angel of the North spreads its wings over England. Corten is no longer a material: it is a signature, the mark of works that embrace time.
« Time does not pass over Corten. It signs it. »
The patina
A living material
Corten does not age; it matures. Its hue moves from deep brown to copper, then to a velvety russet shaped by rain, light and place. No two identical pieces ever tell quite the same story.
It is this life we love. A material that does not try to stay new, but to become true.
Today
La Maison Cortenys, guardian of a legacy
At La Maison Cortenys, we have chosen a single material, and we devote everything to it. Each creation is designed for Corten, conceived for its patina, and made to order with the exacting standards of a true maison.
Planters, fountains, fire pits, furniture and bespoke pieces: we continue the story that began in 1933, on the scale of a garden, a terrace, a lifetime. Allow 4 to 8 weeks from order to delivery.
Questions about Corten steel
Who invented Corten steel?
Cor-Ten steel was developed in the United States in the early 1930s and introduced in 1933, first for ore wagons. COR-TEN is now a registered trademark; the generic term is weathering steel.
What does the word Corten mean?
Corten brings together the two qualities of this steel: CORrosion, for its resistance to corrosion, and TENsile, for its mechanical strength.
Does Corten rust away completely?
No. The patina that forms on the surface is dense and adherent: it greatly slows corrosion. The piece simply needs to dry out between showers, and water must never be left to pool.
How long does the patina take to form?
On raw steel, from a few months to around two years depending on the climate. La Maison Cortenys creations are delivered with their signature patina already in place.
Does Corten stain floors?
During the first rains, runoff may tint pale stone. A gravel border or a suitable base is enough to protect the ground. For interiors, we offer varnished Corten.
Continue the story at home
Discover the creations of La Maison Cortenys, or entrust us with a one-of-a-kind piece.
Delivery to the United Kingdom
Our retail prices in pounds sterling include delivery to the United Kingdom, VAT, customs duties and import taxes. Each piece is made to order and reaches you within 4 to 8 weeks.