In commissioning artwork for the North Hollywood (NoHo) arts district, the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) put its best foot forward in selecting a series of shoe sculptures coated with fluoropolymer technology from Tnemec. “A design competition was held in order to come up with public artwork for the district,” Tnemec coating consultant Dustin Kaatz recalled. “The winning design included three sets of concrete, high-heeled shoes set on top of stainless steel shoe boxes. Since the artwork was designed for display on the street level and susceptible to abuse, the project required an extremely durable coating system.”
The stainless steel substrate was prepared using 70 grit sandpaper and rotary discs to create an anchor profile of 1.0 to 2.0 mils. A shop-applied prime coat of Series L69 Hi-Build Epoxoline II, a low volatile organic compound (VOC) epoxy, was followed by a finish coat of Series 1070V Fluoronar, a high-solids fluoropolymer. “Fluoronar was chosen for its hard finish and outstanding gloss and color retention,” Kaatz acknowledged. “The coating is very durable and easy to touch-up and repair.”
With less than 100 grams per liter of VOCs, the primer and topcoat both meet South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) regulations in the Los Angeles basin. Fluoronar also meets the requirements of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System for New Construction (LEED®) EQ Credit 4.2: Low-Emitting Materials Paints & Coatings.
The same coating system was used on gateways that span entrances to the North Hollywood and Chinatown districts, according to Kaatz “After more than one year, there were no signs of graffiti on either of those projects,” Kaatz noted. “All of these projects were done on different substrates. The Chinatown Gateway was a recoat, the NoHo Gateway was galvanized metal, and the sculpture project was stainless steel.”
The shoe sculptures were commissioned by the CRS/LA to be placed near the Millennium Dance complex, the Academy and El Portal Theater in the one-square-mile NoHo arts district. The sculptures were created by theatrical designer Erin Lareau, who covered each concrete shoe with more than 5,000 pieces of dragon tear jewels. The sculptures, along with the NoHo gateway, were part of a $2.6 million streetscape project that includes brightly painted street crossings, pole banners and major intersections, and new tree plantings. The NoHo Arts District is home to more than 20 live, professional theatres, dance studios, art galleries, public art, music recording venues, acting and art workshops, international dining options, clothing and specialty shops, and businesses that create a myriad of art forms.