After the passing of renowned St. Louis photographer Katherine Ward Burg in 2013, her estate established an endowment to support the creation of a communal public green space in her honor.
PPG Coatings Protect Sculpture in St Louis' New Riverfront Garden
Accessible to visitors from Gateway Arch National Park or historic Laclede's Landing, the Katherine Ward Burg Garden officially opened on April 23, 2023. The project was spearheaded by Great Rivers Greenway , a public agency that works to connect the St. Louis region with greenways.
Just a half-acre in size, the park features sloping pathways, a collection of native plants, a curved seating wall and a dining terrace with sweeping panoramic views of the Mississippi River. At the heart of the park stands a 20' tall metal garden trellis that spans 60' in length and weighs roughly 15,000 lbs.
The trellis was not only designed to serve as a piece of public art, but as an interactive element that encourages visitors to walk through it or enjoy the swings that hang underneath it.
From design the original concept to installation on the site, the trellis required a collaborative effort between the architect, engineers, fabricators, applicators, general contractors and PPG as maker of the coatings specified to protect it from the elements and public use.
Selecting the Right Coatings
TROCOFAB , the St. Louis based metal fabricator chosen to create the trellis, was quite familiar with PPG coatings and had used them for years due to their durability.
Working with Tim Crites from PPG architectural coatings business, as well as Gary Edgar from the industrial coatings business, TROCOFAB considered a number of products to protect the metal garden trellis.
"I've worked with Tim in the past and I knew we could work together to identify the right product for the job with the best warranty available," said Chris McCrossan, vice president of construction services for TROCOFAB.
While they had originally considered PPG DURANAR® coatings for the trellis, the team determined that PPG CORAFLON® ADS field-applied coatings had the advantage in terms of application ease and maintenance for this specific use.
Working in tandem, Gary and Tim were able to offer an almost identical warranty to PPG Duranar coatings that meet FGIA/AAMA 2605 performance specifications, using a four-step Coraflon ADS system, comprised of an epoxy primer, barrier coat, basecoat in silver mica and a clear topcoat.
Learn more about the two-story metal garden trellis and why PPG coatings were specified to protect it.
* Photos courtesy of Great Rivers Greenway.