The Hilton’s Rainbow Tower stands
tall over the Waikiki beach and Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon in the Waikiki neighbourhood
in Honolulu, HI. Whether you spotted it in the opening credits to “Hawaii
Five-O” or in photographs, you have likely seen
the hotel's impressive dual rainbow murals. In 1968, the Rainbow Tower opened
with what is considered “the world’s largest ceramic tile mosaic.” With 16,000
tiles the murals stand 87 metres tall, 8 metres wide and can be seen on either
end of the tower. After more than 45 years, the integrity of the installation
was failing, and the murals’ loose and weather-beaten tiles posed a serious
safety concern - the entire installation needed to be replaced.
The project faced two major
challenges: Scale and Orientation. Not only was the total size of the project daunting,
but the tile installation required a flat vertical surface. The nearly-91 metre
vertical span of the murals made a completely flat surface difficult to achieve
under the best of circumstances. The Elements—while Hawaii enjoys famously
pleasant weather, the towers are constantly buffeted by wind and temperatures
that could reach 60°C on the surface of the murals. Furthermore, the
seaside-facing mural had to deal with saltwater spray.
The solution: LATICRETE. Click
here to read the full story of how Hilton Worldwide and their engineering
consultant Professional Consultants International, Inc. (PROCON) worked with
the LATICRETE Technical Services team to select the right mix of products (3701Fortified Mortar Bed, HYDRO BAN®, 254 Platinum, PERMACOLOR® Grout, and LATASIL™)
to complete a project of such incredible proportions.
Contact us to discuss your next project, visit your job site or to arrange free samples. Call 1800 331 012 or email us here.
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