Mentone Girls Grammar School, beside Melbourne’s Port Philip Bay, set out to make a statement in stainless by turning what was an unused area of the school into an asset that is now making waves with drivers along the popular Beach Road. Inspired by the coastal environment of Port Philip Bay, architects from Environmental Resources Management Australia (ERM) prepared a masterplan that comprised a feature rendered block wall with curved stainless steel infill panels and entry gates between piers. The landscape design for Mentone Girls Grammar School called for a new entry to Beach Road, a popular local road running along the edge of Port Phillip Bay. It involved the fabrication of a series of curves using 12mm diameter grade 316 stainless steel bars to simulate waves. ERM architect, Chris Bell said that the sculptural nature of stainless steel and its ability to withstand the harsh coastal climate played an important role in its selection. “We wanted to use a material that was robust enough to withstand the harsh coastal environment, that could be used to create a sculptural look and was low maintenance. “We tried to keep things simple to reduce costs. By using standard metal sizes we were able to create something that was cost effective and visually striking,” said Bell. ASSDA Major Sponsor, Sandvik, supplied 316 L stainless steel to Newco. A nylon die was used to form the bars which were fabricated with fully adjustable hinges. To give the job a high quality and highly corrosion resistant finish, Newco specified electropolishing on the infill panels and gates. This was performed by ASSDA member, MME Surface Finishing. ERM wanted a flexible material with a strong architectural and sculptural feel to the design. Stainless steel was ideal for this purpose with positive feedback from motorists driving along Beach Road.Photos by Jeff James, Newco.This article featured in Australian Stainless magazine - Issue 28, May 2004.