Caparol Dubai paints Beijing red

Caparol Dubai, a paint manufacturer and distributor, yesterday said it supplied the red paint for the Olympic Stadium in Beijing.

"The Olympic Stadium in Beijing is a magnificent project to be involved with and our work there is a demonstration of our technological and management capabilities. Our business is expanding globally, in the GCC in particular, and in places such as the Far East," said Gary Seabrook, general manager of Caparol.

The company said extensive research and technology was involved in the painting of the landmark stadium, which has the named as "Bird's Nest". The brilliant red used in the nest like structure was a combined effort of Caparol's team in Ober-Ramstadt in Germany and Caparol in Shanghai.

Caparol Dubai, a joint venture between Emaar Industries and Investments and German paint and coatings company Caparol, was established in Dubai in 1998.

Its operations span from Europe to the Middle East – with Dubai as the regional headquarters – and all the way to markets in the Far East such as China.

"The work in Beijing was a genuine team effort and reflects the character of Caparol that, when faced with a practical challenge in a local project, the group will bring in all the international resources of the Caparol group and provide a technical solution of the highest order. It is a globally recognised project that requires our genuine global strength," said the general manager.

The project required a sophisticated coating in order to deal with the climatic and environmental conditions prevalent in Beijing and the high wear and tear expected in a stadium environment where crowds gather constantly and keeping things clean is extremely important yet difficult.

As a result, Caparol developed a special coating, which is durable, low-soiling and high mechanical stress-resistant, along with high light-fastness. "Without this light-fastness the durability of the generally problematic shade of 'red' cannot be guaranteed," said Dr Engin Bagda, manager of the Robert Murjahn Institute in Ober-Ramstadt, Germany – a research institute under Caparol.

The firm's involvement in Beijing's Olympic Stadium project was a result of a partnership with Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron, who worked with Caparol on Munich's Allianz Arena.

"We already have a close and very successful association with Herzog and de Meuron and our work with them in the past led to their recommendation on this prestigious project," said Reinhard Franz, manager of Planning and Property Service, Caparol.

The paint used in the Olympic stadium will now be offered internationally under the name of "Amphibolin". The Caparol Group develops, produces and markets paints, enamels, glazes, structural coatings, materials for facades and insulation, as well as hobby and artist's paints. Originally founded in 1885 to mine the mineral amphibole (hornblende/ greenstone slate), the company developed into a manufacturer of coating materials for the construction sector.

Caparol is the market leader for building paints in Germany, Austria and Turkey, and with an approximately one billion euros (Dh5.6bn) turnover is the largest private paint manufacturer in Europe in the decorative paint market.