The citizens masterpiece

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Shanon Chapman
6 years ago
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1 Product Story No. 53, January 31, 2013 The citizens masterpiece Protectosil ANTIGRAFFITI protects the reconstructed city hall facade in Wesel. Protectosil has a history of preserving and protecting valuable structures, as well as increasing the lifespan of bridges, industrial facilities, and buildings of all kinds. Therefore, the citizens of Wesel am Rhein chose Protectosil when reconstructing the facade of their city hall. Evonik Industries AG Rellinghauser Straße Essen Germany Contact Corporate Press Edda Schulze phone fax edda.schulze@evonik.com Trade Press Frank Gmach phone fax frank.gmach@evonik.com

Product Story Nr. 53, Page 2, January 31, 2013 Over the centuries, emperors, kings, and dukes have walked the steps from the market square into the city hall.

2 Product Story Nr. 53, Page 2, January 31, 2013 Over the centuries, emperors, kings, and dukes have walked the steps from the market square into the city hall. Lothar Damm, chairman of Historisches Rathaus Wesel e.v., is proud of the citizens initiative and dedication to restore the historic Wesel City Hall. The facade of the former city hall has rich tracery, stone crockets, and rosettes that extend upward into the beautiful blue sky. As the symbol of the city, the Rathaus is now once again the pride of the citizens of Wesel. Their donations funded the reconstruction project, which lasted from 2002 to One of the restoration projects included restoring some of the Flemish architecture from the Gothic period of It s truly the citizens masterpiece, says Damm. Such a masterpiece deserves special protection, not only from the elements, but from vandalism, too. Protecting this masterpiece of Udelfangen sandstone is so important that Protectosil ANTIGRAFFITI was chosen to provide an anti-graffiti coating. As Dr. Christine Fliedner of Evonik Industries states, Protectosil products are used in all kinds of buildings to extend their life and maintain their value. Protectosil products protect all mineral-based materials, such as sandstone, natural stones, brick, concrete, clay, marble, and concrete masonry units from the elements, corrosion, graffiti, water, and pollution. One of the largest concerns during any restoration of an historical building from the owner and architect s perspective is that the building facade remains unchanged in appearance. Therefore, Evonik Industries prepared a test treatment of a sample of the The delicate, decorative facade of the Wesel city hall is once again the pride and joy of the city s residents.

3 Product Story Nr. 53, Page 3, January 31, 2013 The city landmark, which underwent reconstruction between 2002 and 2011 with the help of citizens, is one of the few examples of late-gothic Flemish architecture (1400 to 1450).

4 Product Story Nr. 53, Page 4, January 31, 2013 exact surface used during restoration. They treated the sample surface with Protectosil ANTIGRAFFITI, applied graffiti, and then used a special cleaning agent, also a part of the Protectosil product portfolio, to remove the graffiti. The test sample was a success. The graffiti was removed without leaving any residue or traces of graffiti behind. Neither the appearance nor the function ality of the sandstone had been altered. That completely convinced everyone, says Damm. A facade treated with Protectosil ANTIGRAFFITI can be cleaned up to ten times an investment that pays off when funding is tight. Protectosil ANTIGRAFFITI does not affect the appearance or function of facades and allows them to be cleaned up to ten times. When we compare the maintenance costs for treated and untreated buildings and bridges, we find a saving of up to 70 percent over a period of ten years, observes Dr. Fliedner. Interest throughout the world is growing, and the list of showcase projects is expanding. The Louvre in Paris and the Central Library in Hong Kong, for instance, are both treated with Protectosil, as is the Museum of Military History in Vienna, which has been specially protected with the product since Protectosil also beautifully protects the Opera House in Sydney and the Transamerica Pyramid Center in San Francisco, and shields bridges, tunnels, and harbor installations throughout the world from the wind and elements.

5 Product Story Nr. 53, Page 5, January 31, 2013 The Wesel Rathaus was completely destroyed in February 1945 and rebuilt in another location in the 1960s. When the city s citizens worked to restore the facade between 2002 and 2011 at its original site, their efforts reflected the spirit of their ancestors, who built the Rathaus in 1455 in an atmosphere of voluntary civic engagement, spreading the fame of Wesel am Rhein in the process. The donation drive for the facade of the historic Rathaus involved private individuals and regional companies alike, each of whom purchased a symbolic brick. Donors are mentioned by name on a plaque immediately next to the steps that lead to the market square. Beautifully preserved Protectosil is one of the most successful brands in the field of hydrophobization (water repellents), graffiti control, corrosion inhibition (corrosion inhibitor treatment) and surface protection (easyto-clean). The product range provides the perfect solution for almost every material. Protectosil building protection products secure your buildings and your investments. With Evonik building protection products you gain an increased service life and lower maintenance costs. Protectosil provides an attractive appearance, a more durable structure, and energy savings. It s prevents corrosion of reinforcing steel, efflorescence, salt burst and sulfate attack, freeze-thaw damage, acid rain attack, graffiti, algae, mildew, and moss. The images may be reproduced free of charge, provided source is stated.

PROJECT NAME AND ENTRY CATEGORY:

PROJECT NAME AND ENTRY CATEGORY: CONTACT INFORMATION: HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK PHASE 1 WAR MEMORIALS Entertainment (Culture) Participation (Community Service) Kyle Thornton, P.E. 813-620-4500