Modern Materials, Timeless Craft: The Beauty and Simplicity of Flat Seam Panels

Designed for sleek, low-profile surfaces, Zahner Flat Seam adapts perfectly to flat, angular, and curved forms.

Flat Seam is a modular metal panel system that we’ve successfully used for years to fabricate facades and other architectural design elements with exceptional flexibility and precision. Panels are fabricated using our time-tested sheet metal techniques and feature interlocking, hemmed edges.

The result? Clean lines, durable performance, and customizable geometry, all without complex, built-up support systems.

Taubman Museum in Roanoke, Virginia

Photo © A. Zahner Company

Flat Seam panels made from Angel Hair stainless steel clad Rogers Place Arena, designed by HOK.

Photo by Devin Sheremeta | ARKO

Flat Seam is part of our Versatile Systems family, which is designed to reduce the need for custom engineering and parts. This results in a faster turnaround and lower up-front investment.

Our Flat Seam panels attach to a continuous substrate with stainless steel clips. These clips are designed to accommodate tolerances in the system layout, making field modifications both possible and efficient. The hemmed edges not only provide structural integrity but also give the panels their distinctive, refined look. This setup enables streamlined installation and contributes to the system’s broad adaptability. Whether used on large architectural surfaces or in fine design details, Flat Seam delivers both aesthetic and functional excellence.

Flat Seam Architectural Applications

Flat Seam is ideal for:

Facades and Feature Walls
Roofing Surfaces
Canopies and Soffits
Interior Feature Areas
Curved and Nonlinear Forms

Its clean seams and material versatility make it suitable for both contemporary and traditional architectural styles.

Facade for 178 North Eleventh with antique copper patina in Brooklyn, New York.

PHOTO @ A. ZAHNER COMPANY

OHR O’Keefe Museum Gallery Interior Designed by Frank Gehry Partners

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

$Detail of the Zinc panels on-site at the McMurtry Building in California.$

Detail of the Zinc panels on-site at the McMurtry Building in California.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Flat Seam Drives Cost and Fabrication Benefits

Repetition and Speed

The Flat Seam system’s efficiency lies in its ability to produce a typical panel repeatedly. This approach minimizes fabrication directives, allowing for consistent use of tools and machinery. The process involves applying the finish to sheet metal, cutting it to size, and forming hemmed edges—a streamlined process that supports rapid production and shipment.

Material Optimization

Using thinner sheet metals not only reduces costs but also enhances the visual refinement of the panels. Thinner material helps avoid a bulky or clunky appearance of the interlocking hem buildup.

Avoiding Custom Fabricated Panels

For cost-conscious and fast-paced projects, we offer an option of all typical panels. This option minimizes engineering and fabrication time, allowing the installation team to react quickly to on-site conditions by field-modifying the panels. Additionally, installation teams can use finished flat stock to fabricate on-site trim and flashing, reducing the need for additional shipments and increasing installation flexibility.

Enabling Customization with Pattern and Panel Options

Pattern Flexibility

Designers can choose from various patterns and orientation options. Panel sizes range from small, brick-like units to large plank panels. They can be laid vertically, horizontally, angled, and with various offsets for added texture.

Size and Budget Considerations

Smaller panels require more labor to fabricate and install, which may increase overall costs. Our sales team can help balance budget and design by consulting on different panel patterns and associated costs.

Avoiding Pitfalls and Ensuring Aesthetic Quality

We work closely with design teams to manage the design aesthetic, especially when using thin materials in larger panels. This experience ensures that panel size and material thickness strike the right balance between cost and appearance.

Interior lobby cladded with Roano zinc panels.

Photo by Andrew Merz | ARKO

The curving borealis winds through the AGA Cafe.

winding through the AGA Cafe

Opening Up Material and Finish Options

Optimized for Premium Metals

Flat Seam panels are ideal for premium malleable metals, such as copper and zinc. This system’s unique characteristics enable the use of these metals without compromising the project budget or building integrity.

Zahner Materials and Finishes Compatible with Flat Seam:

Copper Patinas: Star Blue™, Dirty Penny™
Zinc Patinas: Hunter™, Roano™, Baroque™
Stainless Steel: Angel Hair®, GB-60™, Fuscara™
Steel (interior only): Oscura™, Spectura™
Aluminum: Anodized, Painted (2-coat PVDF)

In-House Quality Control

Our patinas are applied in-house, preserving quality and minimizing delays. Our stainless steel finishes, such as Angel Hair and GB-60, can offer cost savings over coated aluminum with superior longevity. We also maintain close relationships with external anodizing and paint facilities to ensure consistent quality when those finishes are desired.

Material Nesting and Waste Reduction

Flat Seam panels are typically rectangular, allowing for efficient nesting into standard-sized sheets. We provide tools to maximize material usage, minimize waste, and keep costs low.

Stainless Steel Clip Benefits

Our stainless steel clips prevent galvanic corrosion and ensure compatibility across all finishes. Their robust design contributes to the system’s long-term durability and integrity.

Zahner Star Blue™ Copper

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Zahner Dirty Penny™ Copper

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Copper Patina Highlights

Star Blue™ Copper: This vibrant, blue-green patina achieves the look of aged copper through our proprietary processes. It offers historic charm with modern-day efficiency and is well-suited to exterior and accent applications.
Dirty Penny™ Copper: Dirty Penny delivers warm, mottled tones ranging from reddish browns to deep purples. It can be sealed for interior use or allowed to transform naturally in exterior applications.

Zahner Hunter™ Zinc

Zahner Roano™ Zinc

Zahner Baroque™ Zinc

Signature Zinc Patinas

Hunter™ Zinc: Developed for the Hunter Museum in Chattanooga, this patina mimics the look of limestone while significantly reducing its structural load. Its matte, variegated appearance blends with a wide range of aesthetics and contexts.
Roano™ Zinc: Roano offers calm, earthy tones ideal for projects seeking a grounded, natural look. It works well in both modern and historic settings and deepens over time into rich umber hues.
Baroque™ Zinc: Created for Max Brenner Chocolates in Bethesda, Md., Baroque Zinc expands upon Roano with a deeper, chocolate-like tone. Used in small flat seam panels to evoke a brick pattern, it brings unique depth and richness to facades.

Angel Hair® Stainless Steel

GB-60™ Stainless Steel

Zahner Oscura™ Blackened Steel

Zahner Spectura™ Steel

Steel & Stainless Steel Options

Angel Hair® Stainless Steel: Our signature diffuse stainless steel finish scatters light for a soft, velvety look. It reduces glare while maintaining durability and visual appeal in any environment.
GB-60™ Stainless Steel: This glass bead-blasted finish offers a subtle texture and is 70% less reflective than our Angel Hair® finish. It provides a sleek alternative to polished metal, ideal for clean modern applications.
Oscura™ Blackened Steel: Our rich, blackened steel patina is designed for interior applications. Its activated steel surfaces create a unique, mottled aesthetic that varies with each sheet, offering a distinctive artistic ambiance, ideal for feature walls, lobbies, accents, and other architectural elements.
Spectura™ Steel: This clear interference coating on steel creates a striking iridescent effect. Ideal for controlled interior environments, Spectura enhances walls, lobbies, accents, and more with its captivating spectrum of color.

Flat Seam panels were used for the lobby of the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Interior Applications

Flat Seam can also be utilized indoors, offering textural and color diversity in such landmark projects as:

2100 L Street, Washington, DC (Roano Zinc)
Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton (Hunter Zinc)
BOK Arena, Tulsa, OK (Angel Hair Stainless Steel)

From facades to feature walls, our Flat Seam Panel System provides architects with the freedom to create expressive surfaces and design features that deliver trusted performance. Whether you’re designing a cutting-edge exterior or a sophisticated interior space, Flat Seam delivers the durability, detail, and design flexibility needed to bring your vision to life.