Shake Shack, a top dining attraction in New York City’s Madison Square Park, features modern architecture that incorporates panels from VMZINC^®, the international brand name of rolled zinc products manufactured and sold by the Building Products Unit of the Umicore group. Originating as a hot dog cart in 2001, Shake Shack’s popularity at the park led its founders to make a permanent installment that would lessen its environmental footprint.

SITE Environmental Design of New York City created plans for a permanent outdoor kiosk. Under its award-winning president and architect, James Wines, SITE worked with Pentagram, a Manhattan-based graphic design firm, to envision a building with a green exterior using VMZINC^® QUARTZ-ZINC Metafor panels along with a planted inclined roof that features a shade trellis covered in English ivy. The facility opened in 2004.

Using zinc let SITE and Pentagram form distinctive lines with the cladding, which made Shake Shack’s home base aesthetically pleasing and in harmony with the surrounding area. The restaurant is active and attractive, serving the needs of customers. Over the last decade, Shake Shack has grown exponentially in scale and reputation, with 56 locations worldwide and more then ten that have incorporated VMZINC products into the design, and praise for its food from Time, Bon Appétit, Zagat’s and more.

“Using zinc for a project such as Shake Shack was a wise choice, as it is a durable, eco-friendly product offering a distinctive sleek appearance,” said Daniel Nicely, managing director at VMZINC^® -US and Umicore Building Products, USA Inc. “Fully recyclable and abundant in nature, zinc needs relatively little energy to convert it into paneling.”

Zinc offers a perfect mix of modern appearance, longevity and relatively little maintenance. It has allowed Shake Shack to respect natural resources while meeting its needs for operational endurance and efficiency.