- Owner
- City of Whiting, Indiana
- Architects
- Vavrek Architects, Inc.; Whiting, Indiana
- PPG Products
- PITT-TECH® EDF Pitt-Tech Plus SPEEDHIDE® Zero Eggshell Finish FORTIS® 350 Premium Exterior Paint SUNPROOF® Acrylic Latex Paint Speedhide Primer PERMA-CRETE® Primer MEGA-SEAL™ Anti-Slip Flooring Systems
- Painting Contractor
- Prism Painting Company; Schererville, Indiana
- General Contractor
- Tower Contracting, LLC; Markham, Illinois
From Brutus the Buckeye and Bucky the Badger to the Philly Phanatic and the San Diego Chicken, mascots have been bringing colorful entertainment to college and professional sporting events for more than a century. Now, the Mascot Hall of Fame in Whiting, Indiana, is using PPG PAINTS™ to bring color to a new museum that celebrates the history of America’s favorite costumed cheerleaders.
Situated on the south shore of Lake Michigan just outside Chicago, the Mascot Hall of Fame features more than 25,000 square-feet of exhibit and programming space, which is painted inside and out, and from floor to ceiling, with more than a half-dozen PPG PAINTS products.
The ceiling-panel project was complicated by the fact that the paint had to be matched to a custom “Dark Knight” color specified by the architect. Proximity to PPG PAINTS’ local retail outlet in nearby Hammond, Indiana, enabled Mustafa and his team to quickly mix and deliver nearly 450 gallons of custom-colored Pitt-Tech EDF paint to meet the modified spec and keep the project on schedule.
Because the Mascot Hall of Fame was constructed to commemorate characters in costumes, the building also is distinct in its use of dazzling primary colors. Inside the museum and out, loud purples, sunny yellows and glitzy greens create an atmosphere designed specifically to appeal to children and families.
According to Joe Mustafa, market manager, PPG PAINTS, one of the project’s most challenging applications also was one of its first. That’s when interior metal framing and hundreds of metal ceiling panels had to be painted in near-freezing temperatures in a building that was supposed to be heated but wasn’t. Fortunately, PPG PAINTS had just the right solution: PITT-TECH® EDF, a waterborne acrylic semi-gloss paint with excellent dryfall capabilities formulated specifically for direct-to-metal application.
Mustafa said the situation highlighted PPG PAINTS’ ability to solve problems and change products on the fly. “Originally, we had a different dryfall product spec’d for this project, but there was an issue with the building’s heating system when the contractor wanted to apply it, so we ended up switching to Pitt-Tech EDF,” he explained. “Because the paint can be applied to metal at temperatures down to 35 degrees, it enabled us to process through the project and still get the performance the painting contractor needed.”
To help the architect and building owner achieve the desired look, PPG PAINTS had to match colors associated with dozens of mascots, ranging from the Phoenix Suns’ famous basketball-dunking gorilla to Penn State’s Nittany (Blue) Lion. This process also took place at PPG PAINTS’ Hammond, Indiana, store.
“I believe we got this job for three primary reasons,” explained Mustafa. “The first was competitive pricing; the second was the quality of our products. The third was our location and ability to respond quickly to the demands of the painting contractor and building owner, particularly in relation to our color-matching expertise.”
A fourth reason may have been PPG PAINTS’ ability to offer a coating for almost every type of surface in the building. In addition to substituting Pitt-Tech EDF for the metal ceiling panels and framing, PPG formulated 275 gallons of SPEEDHIDE® Zero (and Speedhide primer) – in dozens of colors and accents – for the interior drywall.
PPG PAINTS also supplied 40 gallons of PERMA-CRETE® primer for the concrete block; 20 gallons of colorful MEGASEAL™ anti-slip flooring systems for busy concession and exhibit areas; Pitt-Tech Plus for metal door frames; and FORTIS® 350 and SUNPROOF® premium exterior paints for trim, stair rails and other outdoor applications.
Whiting Mayor Joe Stahura, who worked closely with David Raymond – the museum’s founder and the Philly Phanatic from 1978 to 1993 –, said the Mascot Hall of Fame is expected to be a big boost to the city’s tourism. “This is our signature project,” he said at the facility’s 2016 groundbreaking ceremony. “Our goal is to design and build a high-quality, interactive, family-oriented facility right here in the heart of our city.”
With the help of Vavrek Architects, Prism Painting Company, Tower Contracting and PPG PAINTS, that vision has become a colorful reality.
To learn more about the full line of PPG PAINTS solutions for commercial buildings, visit www.ppgpaints.com or call 1-800-441-9695.