Brass

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, valued in architecture for its golden color, workability and resistance to corrosion, used historically and today for door hardware, railings, decorative grillework, elevator surrounds and window and storefront framing. Its proportion of copper to zinc can be varied to shift its color from reddish gold to pale yellow and to adjust its hardness and workability, and like copper and bronze it develops a protective tarnish over time unless regularly polished or lacquered, a patina some architectural uses embrace and others actively prevent. Its prominence in Art Deco and early twentieth-century commercial architecture, seen in elevator doors, lobby detailing and storefront frames of the period, established an association between brass trim and a sense of refined, modern luxury that persists in contemporary architectural hardware.