Known as the “jewel” of Forest Park, the Jewel Box in St. Louis, Missouri, is certainly sparkling once again. Originally constructed by the City of St. Louis in 1936, the Jewel Box opened to much national fanfare with its unconventional Art Deco-style, featuring vertical glass walls soaring 50 feet high. Today, the St. Louis treasure is listed in the National Historic Register, and following its renovation in 2002, the floral conservatory now hosts a number of events and parties, not to mention hundreds of beautiful flowers and plants.
Tnemec coatings were specified for the renovation of the existing structural steel. Tnemec coating consultant Mike Cerutti was aware that, in the past, multiple layers of various types of coatings had been applied to the existing steel. This together with an inability to power-wash the area due to the fragility of the structure, led to the selection of Series 30 Spra-Saf EN, a fast-curing acrylic polymer.
Bazan Painting Company, the painting contractor, prepared the surface in accordance with SSPC-SP2 Hand Tool Cleaning and SSPC-SP3 Power Tool Cleaning. Series 135 Chembuild, a modified polyamidoamine epoxy, was used to prime the rusted structural steel areas, followed by two coats of Series 30. “We required a coating that could provide superior protection with the least amount of stress to the existing coatings,” noted Cerutti. “Series 30 was the perfect coating for the job.”
The 7,500-square-foot interior included the renovation of the bathroom areas and the addition of a large fountain and water feature. Interior handrails and doors throughout were brush- and roller-applied with Series 66 Hi-Build Epoxoline, a polyamide epoxy, at 4.0 to 6.0 mils DFT, followed by a topcoat of Series 73 Endura-Shield, a semi-gloss polyurethane.
“The history of the Jewel Box means a lot to the community,” said Cerutti. “We were delighted to be a part its renovation.”