JOTUN Paints provided interior and exterior paints for a landmark property in Egypt which recently reopened its doors as the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan after a major three-year renovation.

One of the world’s leading producers and distributors of paints and powder coatings, Jotun provided paint for the old and new wings of the hotel, both of which involved a total exterior area of 22,000 sq m and a total interior area of 45,000 sq m.

The property is owned by the Egyptian General Company for Tourism and Hotels (Egoth), and the design for the renovation was handled by a leading French interior designer Sybille de Margerie, while the contracting company on the project was Arabian Construction Company (ACC).

The Old Cataract hotel is considered to be one of the leading hotels in Egypt, noted for its Victorian look and strategic location fronting the Nile river.

Following the renovation, the property  now offers a total of 138 luxurious rooms and suites across its Old Palace and Nile wings, which feature traditional heritage and contemporary luxury, respectively.

“We are honoured and delighted to see that our protective and decorative solutions were chosen for this iconic landmark in Egypt,” says Sherif Kassem, national sales manager projects of El Mohandes Jotun. “We remain upbeat that our strategic line of exterior and interior paint solutions will live up to the challenge of maintaining the aesthetic beauty and splendour that the Cataract hotels are widely known for.”

Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan ... one of Egypt’s leading landmarks, dons Jotun’s colours.

Jotun’s Lady Effects line was used for painting the interiors of the project. The line includes Lady Effects Stucco Antica, a water-based, coloured paste that creates attractive marble effects on interiors. Once applied, the finish is a blend of opulence and antiquity, thereby offering numerous colourful solutions for interior decorations, he says.

Other products from the line include Lady Effects Pearl, a high-quality, water-borne product designed to create a shimmering wall finish that is lustrous and calming, and Lady Effects Metallic, a high-quality, water-borne product used as a topcoat on emulsion-based paints or texture paints.

“The product is highly suitable for interior surfaces for creating special effects, producing a shimmer effect in response to a light source, position and intensity,” he says.

Additionally, Jotun supplied Jotashield Top Coat Silk for the exterior repainting. “The product is a 100 per cent pure acrylic-based paint that has been specially formulated to withstand the harsh Middle East climate. The special acrylic binder gives a durable and long-lasting gloss finish with low dirt pickup,” explains Kassem.

Jotashield’s special formulation will also protect against concrete carbonation and is ideal for decorating and protecting exterior surfaces. Jotashield Topcoat Silk is highly recommended for basement walls and ceilings and for anti-carbonation requirements.

“The renovated project stands as a testament to Jotun’s commitment to help in protecting and preserving historical and landmark places in the country. We will continue to be at the forefront of developing products that use the latest technological innovations  to create and develop a diverse range of solutions including decorative, protective, marine, floor, concrete protection and intumescent coatings, for high-profile projects in the region,” adds Kassem.

Meanwhile,  Jotun Powder Coatings, another member of the Jotun group, has launched its new line of eco-friendly powder coating products, which are designed to provide enhanced value for customers.

Marketed as Guard Gaze, Guard Miles and Guard Miles+, the three powder coatings have been developed to meet the growing demands and requirements of industrial manufacturers, be it for domestic appliances or metal furnishing and accessories.

“The new Guard products range is the result of Jotun’s continuous move to enhance product value through more mileage, better operating efficiency, lower temperature cure, colour and appearance enhancements,” says Olaf Conreur, industrial category manager at Jotun Powder Coatings.

Classic applications of Guard include refrigerators, air-conditioners, heating radiators, microwave ovens, washing machines, shelving units, light fixtures, lighting, commercial racks and metal furniture. Guard Gaze is available in a wide range of colour shades for manufacturers looking to enhance the value of their products through appearance, whilst being able to save energy and gain productivity through flexible and low temperature cure.

“As powder coatings have gained recognition as being an eco-friendly alternative, we felt that it was time to introduce new products that can best cater to customers’ specific needs and at the same time offer them tangible value,” he says. “Also, manufacturers are now looking at the efficiencies offered by these coatings, while also assessing the design enhancements that come with the package. We understand that our customers are looking for metal accessories and fixtures that can add value to their own customer environment’s aesthetic, be it at home, in the office, or in a shop. Aiming to address this demand, we have developed Guard Gaze, a powder coating that offers protection in a wide variety of colours and that also comes in a lower temperature cure alternative, enabling the manufacturer to reduce their impact on the environment by lowering consumption of energy, while maintaining or even increasing their productivity.”

Guard Miles has been designed to give OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and job coaters more mileage and better operating efficiencies, together with good flow and optimal protection to suit diverse needs. It offers an optimum balance of excellent aesthetic finishes, and features corrosion protection, chemical and mechanical properties that helps protect in hot, wet and dry environments. Meanwhile, Guard Miles+ offers cost-effective powder applications that optimise mileage and material utilisation properties. If applied with the right equipment and expertise, using Guard Miles+ powder solutions can achieve up to 30 per cent reduction in powder consumption, Conreur claims.

“The operating efficiencies of Guard Miles and Guard Miles+ are achieved through higher productivity, more mileage, and lower curing temperature schedules, making these products best suited for high-scale volume producers and coaters of large surfaces, such as domestic appliances, cooling and heating systems and large shelving and metal fixtures,” he adds.

The low temperature cure focus is one of the many ways Jotun Powder Coatings is trying to make its sustainable products, more environment friendly. Being dry, Jotun’s powder coatings do not contain any solvents, and therefore no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released. Also, unused or over-sprayed powder can be recycled with minimal wastage and disposal is safe and easy. All Jotun Powder Coatings products are lead-free.