Materials for public spaces: metal, glass, HPL, wood and solid surface

How we decide on a material family: 3 brief questions

Choosing a material for a public space starts from three questions: how much traffic the surface takes (touch, abrasion, impact), what maintenance budget you accept over 5-10 years, and what aesthetic reading you want (warm, technical, sober). The answers quickly narrow the five main families.

Without these three answers, the materials conversation is about taste. With them, the choice becomes technical.

Metal: patinated steel, brass, stainless — visible differences

Patinated steel offers 20+ years of durability and a warm reading, but needs correct finishing to avoid blotchy spots. Brass patinates over time — beautiful if intended and protected, ugly if left to chance in touch zones. Stainless is the most corrosion-resistant and easiest to maintain, but can look cold if not carefully finished.

The rule: metal is for durability, but the finish decides whether it ages well or badly.

Glass: low-iron, toughened, anti-reflective, structural

Low-iron glass gives optical clarity for vitrines and surfaces where colour matters. Toughened (tempered) glass is mandatory for high-traffic tables, walls and railings — it breaks into granules, not sharp shards. Anti-reflective is for screens and front panels. Structural glass, laminated and correctly sized, can take loads.

Glass forgives little in handling: sizing and type are chosen by function, not by looks.

HPL: performance grades and differences between suppliers

HPL (high-pressure laminate) resists scratches, solvents and medium traffic — which is why it's the standard option in retail and hospitality. It comes in different performance grades: for heavy traffic or exterior use you choose higher grades (thickness, fire and moisture resistance).

The difference between suppliers is real — at the edges, in colour stability over time, and in behaviour under UV. A cheap HPL fades or peels at the edges; a good one lasts a decade.

Solid wood: oak, ash, walnut — finishes and maintenance

Solid wood brings warmth and ages beautifully, but it's a living material: it moves with humidity and needs correct finishing. Oak is robust and tolerant, ash is elastic and light in colour, walnut is softer and darker, for accents rather than wear surfaces.

Under heavy traffic, wood needs the right oil or lacquer and refinishing every 3-5 years. It's the correct choice only if you accept the maintenance; otherwise it looks tired fast.

Solid surface: when it's the right answer and when it's a trap

Solid surface (Corian and similar) allows seamless joints, is hygienic and repairable by sanding — right for receptions, bathrooms, continuous surfaces without seams. It thermoforms, so it accepts curved shapes other materials can't.

The trap: it's fragile against heavy impact and point heat. You don't put it where heavy objects are handled or hot pots go directly. Correctly chosen, it's elegant; wrongly placed, it cracks.

Quick decision table: traffic vs budget vs aesthetics

In short: heavy traffic + low maintenance budget → HPL or stainless. Long life + warm reading → patinated metal or solid oak, with maintenance accepted. Continuous hygienic surfaces → solid surface. Clarity and visibility → low-iron or toughened glass by function.

No material is „the best” in absolute terms — it's the best for your combination of traffic, budget and aesthetics. That's what we settle at the brief.