Copper Fascia Before and After Application
Wright believed that "properties unique to the material" should be expressed. One of the things Wright loved about copper was the signature patina as it aged. Wright managed to incorporate the patina color at SAMARA even before the copper he specified was installed or had a chance to age by painting the entrance gate a striking turquoise.
Wright tried for years to find a process that would instantly convert shiny new copper to an aged patina. He was unsuccessful in all his attempts. Wright knew that Dr. Christian was a chemist and challenged him to find a chemical that would produce the patina overnight. During the 1960's Dr. Christian had a lab under his carport, and he worked on the problem. He experimented until he found a formula which, when applied under exactly the right conditions, yielded the patina overnight. The formula remains a secret, and to date has only been used on the copper at Samara, and by a handful of Dr. Christians friends and colleagues. Sadly, FLW never got to see the results of his challenge to Dr. Christian.
Dr. Christian explained how the weather had to be just right in order for the three-coat chemical process to be successful. He described how the copper looked "terrible" when the solution was first applied, but by the next morning the copper was miraculously "aged." The copper will continue to change slowly for the next eighty years. Though both the upper and lower fascia now exhibit a beautiful patina, a difference in color is discernible due to the twenty-five years gap between their applications.