Gotham is the new black

When it comes to defining a collective Kiwi consciousness, the colour black features large—being, as it is, our unofficial national colour. Arguments aside about whether it really even is a colour, it remains that not all forms of black are created equal.

Realising this, the team at Ambro Metals reached out to their Netherlands-based supplier EURAMAX, a recognised world leader in the manufacture of premium coil coated aluminium products for architectural applications, to produce a black finish that would instantly appeal to homeowners and specifiers alike.

“We wanted a finish that was sleek and sophisticated. One that would resonate equally with the residential and commercial markets,” says Ambro Metals’ Manager, Adrian Ward. “The finish we came up with is Gotham Black, an ultra-matte, fine-textured finish that will form the foundation of an evolving range called EURAMATTES.”

“You only have to look at it to see the appeal,” adds Stephen Davies, from the architectural team. “It is simple yet bold and will suit a wide range of architectural styles as well as complement a number of other materials, such as cedar weatherboards and concrete, producing a very monolithic look.”

“EURAMAX produces an extensive range of products to order so you can be at the mercy of their schedule, however, we have been really lucky in this instance—and it’s not often you get to say that COVID-19 has had a positive outcome—that given the timing we were able to fast-track production to add to our on-hand stock range. An initial order of approximately 5000m2 is just about ready to leave the factory, which we will be able to despatch to jobs from late September, which is great as we have already had interest from the architectural community who have had a preview of the product,” says Adrian.

Adrian says that Ambro Metals is working with EURAMAX to ultimately expand the EURAMATTES range and hopes to soon be offering fine-textured matte white, along with a range of terracotta, patina green, mid-grey and brown oxide shades.

“There is such great potential for this roofing and cladding range to make a definite impact in the architectural realm with a real desire across the board for true matte finishes. We look forward to hearing from the industry about how we can extend the range to increase its appeal.”

“Aside from the obvious aesthetic appeal, we believe Gotham Black will be a popular choice with New Zealanders because it offers an excellent long-term life cycle requiring minimal ongoing maintenance, is almost 100 per cent manufactured from recycled products and can, itself, be repeatedly recycled without loss of quality. Also, it is suitable for use in many of New Zealand’s environmental conditions as the matte tone will help mitigate any surface imperfections caused by thermal movement, it is designed to not rust and, true to aluminium’s historical performance, will outlast steel.

“Similarly, for contractors and specifiers, it is a beautiful, lightweight material to work with that can be easily cut or formed onsite, offers more malleability than steel while still being a very robust material and can be fashioned into a number of architectural profiles offering an array of design possibilities,” says Adrian.

Stephen adds: “It’s such a versatile material that we believe it will also find a niche in the internal cladding market, where its zero-gloss finish and ability to diffuse light as soon as it hits it, will appeal to people looking to create a refined outcome.”

Learn more about Gotham Black from the EURAMATTES range.