It is not only walls and ceilings in the private sector that suffer the ravages of time. Public buildings are particularly affected by signs of wear and tear because of the large numbers of people who pass through them every day. The international airport in Poznań was no exception.

Initial situation: Concourse in need of renovation and extension. Airport operations must continue as usual

Since the international airport in Poznań was first built in 1913, around 1.6 million people have passed through it each year. Hurrying passengers can easily knock or scrape the walls with their luggage. Over time the walls and ceilings start to deteriorate. This was the case in the Terminal 3 check-in concourse, where passengers check in their luggage and go through passport control. The concourse needed to be extended and the walls, which were showing signs of wear and damage, needed to be renovated. For the refurbishment, they wanted a wall covering that would reinforce the walls and bridge cracks, that would last a long time and would be easy to hang. Despite the urgent need for renovation, the renovation work must not interrupt day-to-day operations at the airport.

Solution: SYSTEXX Premium 060 (now named SYSTEXX Pure Silk 060) with Aqua technology

Because of the special way they are made, SYSTEXX glass fabrics are extremely resistant to physical wear and tear. They bridge the dents that appear in walls as a result of hard knocks and help prevent the spread of shrinkage and hairline cracks because of their high tensile strength. SYSTEXX Premium 060 (now named SYSTEXX Pure Silk 060) was used in the concourse. Its particularly fine structure makes it perfect for producing a seamless finish in immense spaces. Like nearly all SYSTEXX wall coverings, Premium 060 (now named SYSTEXX Pure Silk 060) comes with Aqua technology: an adhesive coating on the back that just needs to be activated with water. This means that there is no need to apply adhesive to the wall coverings at all, reducing labor time by between 30% and 40%.

The result: fast application without disruption

Thanks to Aqua technology, the 1600 m² wall area was covered in three days without disrupting or interrupting airport operations. This enabled the Polish President to open the new concourse on time, on 1 October 2013, to mark the airport’s 100th anniversary. The walls are now protected by the special SYSTEXX properties, which means the results will be long-lasting.