Retail parks are increasingly paying attention to the colours and textures used to decorate their units, giving them character and making the sites more appealing to visit and work within. Team Valley Retail Park, Gateshead, is no exception. For a suite of new retail units, designers concentrated on using shades and textures that address both style and sustainability in the materials they use and the appearance they present.
Powdertech Corby
Situated underneath the spreading arms of the ‘Angel of the North’ and built above former coal mines it felt right for the park to reflect its industrial origins. Cor-ten was considered but in using this product, special attention has to be paid to storm water drainage in order to prevent run-off from staining surrounding structures, and other surfaces.
Powdertech Corby’s Evolution™ powder coatings were a perfect solution. These powders reproduce the effects of weathering on metals and can be applied to both aluminium and steel. The application of the powder ensures a variation in shade to reflect the inconsistency in natural metal patination. The finished surface is not affected by water and has a twenty-five year guarantee for colour and gloss retention, adhesion and durability.
After viewing several samples from the extensive Evolution range of seventy-two shades the client decided upon ‘Peat Fire’, a shade giving the appearance of aged, rusted steel, and a perfect partner to the ‘Angel’. Powdertech pre-treated and coated 1000 sq metres of aluminium panels and corner cappings.
The powders used for Evolution™ are architectural specification and the unique combinations that create these effects are applied in Powdertech’s fully controlled powder coating plant. The resulting finish is suitable for internal and external architectural applications.
