History has been made at Westminster Abbey in London with the first major addition to the famous church since 1745 – and AkzoNobel has supplied products for the prestigious project.

The new £23 million Weston Tower features 500 leaded windows, and every window frame is protected with the company’s Interpon powder coatings. The tower provides staircase and lift access to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries, located in an area that has never been open to the public before.

“As the undisputed leader in powder coatings, we are very proud to have contributed to such a significant project, which is integral to the history of the UK,” said Tomasz Kluczewski, Regional Director North Europe for AkzoNobel Powder Coatings.

Added the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster, “The views are breathtaking; the space astonishing; the displays fascinating. Visitors can now gain far greater insight into the life and history of the abbey than ever before.”

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries were officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen earlier this summer. The exhibition space displays more than 300 precious regal and religious artifacts, many of which are on show for the first time.

The galleries are located in the medieval Triforium – an area 16 meters (52 feet) above the abbey’s floor, which has lain unused for centuries. Access is via the new tower, which was designed by Ptolemy Dean Architects. Its window frames are coated with the company’s Interpon D2525 Anodic Bronze finish and BPP600 barrier primer, which provide a perfect color match and long-lasting protection.

Commented Andris Valters, owner of applicators Hereford Coatings, “The powder coating was very easy to apply and the efficiency was superb.”

Westminster Abbey is one of the world’s great churches, welcoming over two million worshippers and visitors annually. It’s the latest in an impressive list of London landmarks to feature AkzoNobel coatings, with the company having already supplied products for the London Eye, the Shard, the Gherkin, the Lloyd’s Building and Wembley Stadium, to name just a few.

By AkzoNobel