A Look at Stabilized Aluminum Foam

March 29, 2018

Last week I presented an exciting new architectural product to our office staff, called “stabilized aluminum foam”. A Canadian manufacturer makes these panels under the brand name of “Alusion”. They extrude aluminum into flat panels, utilizing a special process that introduces air bubbles that turn the aluminum into foam, weighting only one-tenth as much as solid aluminum. The panels can be used on building exteriors and interiors, and are available in a range of textures, including panels that offer a degree of translucency and which can be backlit.

Perhaps the most exciting use of the foam to date is on the Caixa Forum in Seville, Spain, a building that I will have the opportunity to visit later this year. The foam aluminum panels are bent into graceful arcs. They wrap the curved, sculptural exterior building forms, resulting in a project that is both stunning and unique.

Other links:
Manufacturer: http://www.alusion.com/alusionhome
Fondazione Prada Project in Milano: https://www.archdaily.com/628472/fondazione-prada-oma

“I look forward to finding the perfect application of one of our own projects!”
Don Tomasi AIA, Principal