Axalta Coating Systems has provided its Alesta SD or Super Durable line of powder coatings for the façade of Central Asia’s largest airport, the new Ashgabat International Airport. Alesta SD has been specifically developed to provide better colour and gloss stability, making it ideal for commercial building projects such as this, in addition to high-end residential projects.

Ashgabat International Airport, one of Turkmenistan’s most prestigious infrastructure projects, required a façade coating that would be extremely resistant to weather degradation and that would provide lasting gloss and colour retention.

Willi Müsgen, Managing Director of Köln-Color, the company in Cologne, Germany, who handled the coating of the airport’s striking 32,000m2 falcon-shaped façade, explains: “As the metal fabricator wanted RAL 9016 HFW Matt Traffic White for the huge shape, we chose Axalta’s Alesta SD Matt RAL 9016 knowing it would meet all the requirements. We work with Alesta SD powder coatings very frequently, so we know how the product behaves.”

Köln-Color received sections of the façade between October 2015 and June 2016 from international façade specialist Christian Pohl GmbH, also based in Cologne, Germany. Once coated in Alesta SD, the panels made of 3mm aluminium were shipped to Ashgabat in sections for assembly.

Olaf Duisberg, Architectural Powder Coatings Key Account Manager for Axalta in Germany, adds, “we are delighted to have worked with Christian Pohl and Köln-Color again to realise the architect’s vision for this stunning project. Our Alesta SD range is designed for buildings that are exposed to direct sunlight, as it is extremely weather resistant, so it was an ideal choice for the Ashgabat International Airport, helping to keep it looking good for years to come.”

Thorsten Evenkamp, Vice President and Head of Sales of Christian Pohl GmbH, says, “This was a very important project for us. We had to make sure every aspect of the façade fabrication met the exacting standards and performed at the highest level. We’ve also worked closely with Axalta for a number of years, so we were pleased to know our work would be protected by, and made to look even better with, Alesta SD powder coating.”

The international airport project, which is valued at an estimated US$2.3 billion, encompasses 30 buildings on a 350,000m2 site just outside the capital, Ashgabat. It includes two passenger terminals, and will be able to serve more than 17 million passengers and handle more than 200,000 tonnes of cargo a year.

The SD or Super Durable designation is one of three widely-used durability levels in the powder coatings industry. Alesta AP or Architectural Polyester powder coatings are suitable for residential or smaller projects in normal climate conditions. Alesta SD powders provide better colour and gloss stability, ideal for high-end residential and commercial buildings. And finally, Alesta UD are ultra durable powder coatings designed for prestigious buildings or for regions with high levels of UV radiation.