The Kansas City Star Press Pavilion is a 424,000-square-foot facility encompassing two square blocks in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Credited with spearheading the reemergence of Kansas City’s downtown redevelopment, the $199 million facility is a uniquely modern, all glass-paneled structure, specifically designed to offer drivers and passers-by the opportunity to witness the presses in action. And they are worth a peek: the four KBA Commander presses operating in the Pavilion are the German press maker’s largest installation throughout all of North America.
Tnemec coatings were specified for the interior flooring, structural steel and ink tank in for the press building. “We had worked with the architect in the past, and due to the magnitude of this project, they enlisted us to come in and assist them with product selection,” said Tnemec coating consultant Darrell Buerky. “From chemical exposure to time constraints, there were many facets that we had to be aware of, so we got involved with the project at an early stage.”
The interior flooring of the Press Pavilion, including the training areas and restrooms, were coated with Series 222 Deco-Tread, a decorative broadcast quartz system applied at 1/8-inch thickness, followed by Series 284 Deco-Clear, a clear, polyamine epoxy finish providing additional protection against impact and abrasion. Series 223 Deco-Trowel, a decorative mortar system, was specified for the press area flooring and trowel-applied at 1/4-inch thickness, with a topcoat of Series 284 completing the flooring system.
All of the structural steel for the Pavilion was coated with Series 88HS Azeron H.S. Primer, a fast-dry, lead- and chromate-free, rust-inhibitive shop primer. Following preperation in accordance with SSPC-SP6/NACE No. 3 Commerical Blast Cleaning, the exterior of the ink tanks and associated piping received a coat of Series 66 Hi-Build Epoxoline, a two-component polyamide epoxy. Finally, Series 73 Endura-Shield, a semi-gloss polyurethane, was roller-applied as a topcoat to the tanks completing the system.
“We offered a full line of Tnemec products to meet the varied needs of this project,” noted Buerky. “The coatings continue to perform very well, and the structure has been a wonderful addition to the revitalization of downtown Kansas City.”