PITTSBURGH – PPG announced that the new air traffic control tower at San Francisco International Airport, featuring DURANAR^® SUNSTORM^® coatings by PPG, has earned a Chairman’s Award for design excellence from the Metal Construction Association (MCA).

The 221-foot tower, designed by Denver-based Fentress Architects, features a metal-and-glass facade twisted into the shape of a torch. Two Duranar Sunstorm coatings were specified for the project. Duranar Sunstorm XL Silver coatings were chosen for the entrance system and exterior aluminum curtain wall framing, and Duranar Sunstorm Galaxy Silver coatings were used to finish the interior-facing curtain wall framing.

The tower is engineered to withstand a magnitude 8.0 earthquake and designed to achieve LEED^® certification at the Gold level from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Combining proprietary PPG resin and pigment technologies with a base 70% polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) resin, three-layer Duranar Sunstorm XL coatings protect and beautify aluminum building components with a patented primer, a durable color coat inflected with pearlescent flakes and a clear topcoat for enhanced resistance to chalking, fading, chipping and peeling.

Linetec of Wausau, Wisconsin, applied the extrusion coatings on weather-exposed exterior surfaces and interior-facing framing members. 3A Composites USA Inc., Davidson, North Carolina, supplied 10,000 square feet of 4-millimeter ALUCOBOND^® Plus aluminum composite material (ACM). Keith Panel Systems Ltd., North Vancouver, British Columbia, fabricated 1,500 metal wall panels for the rainscreen system, and Pacific Erectors, Rocklin, California, installed the panels.

The annual Chairman’s Awards recognize exceptional building projects involving members of the Metal Construction Association (MCA). They are based on overall appearance, the significance of metal in the project, innovative use of metal and the role of metal in achieving project objectives.