PPG Industries’ protective and marine coatings (PMC) business announced that more than 2,000 gallons of AMERCOAT® coatings were used to refurbish the “Tent of Tomorrow” at the New York State Pavilion, a historic attraction erected in Queens 51 years ago to celebrate the 1964 World’s Fair.
The Tent of Tomorrow was one of three components constructed as part of the original pavilion, designed by world-renowned architect Philip Johnson and internationally known civil engineer Lev Zetlin. The ellipse-shaped structure incorporated 16 100-foot-tall reinforced concrete piers supporting a 350-foot-by-250-foot steel-cable suspension roof, the largest of its kind in the world at the time.
The restoration project, which was completed earlier this summer, required more than 1,000 gallons each of AMERLOCK® 2 and Amercoat 450H coatings. Amerlock 2 coating, a two-component, high-solids epoxy with excellent abrasion and chemical resistance, was used as the primer coat. The Amercoat 450H topcoat is a high-gloss, low-VOC (volatile organic compound) aliphatic polyurethane with outstanding weathering, dirt and corrosion resistance.
It was specified in American Cheese yellow to match the original color of the tent. Diane Kappas, PPG vice president, protective and marine coatings, Americas, said PPG is thrilled to be part of the project, which helped commemorate the 50th anniversary of the global event. “We engineer our coatings to preserve assets like this structure, whether they are engineering and architectural treasures such as the New York State Pavilion, or bridges, electrical towers, offshore platforms, storage tanks and other components vital to the world’s infrastructure.”