Bare concrete, by design.
The columns at the new entrance to Battersea Power Station Underground are exposed concrete, left bare as part of the design. They also stand in full view and within easy reach of every passenger. Porous concrete is unforgiving. Paint and dirt soak in, and getting them back out is slow work.
TfL wanted the columns protected before the entrance opened to the public. Working for DMS Contracts, we were asked to do it without changing how the concrete looks.
Clear, matt and permanent.
The brief ruled out anything that would add colour, sheen or a visible film. We applied a water-based anti-graffiti system that dries clear with a matt finish, so the concrete keeps its natural tone and texture. It is suitable for interior and exterior surfaces.
It is also a permanent system. Graffiti comes off and the protection stays in place, ready for the next attempt. Our team masked each column base, sheeted the floor and applied the coating by hand, column by column, ahead of opening.
The result
Same concrete. Now protected.
The finished columns still read as bare concrete, matt and natural, with no gloss to give the coating away. Graffiti no longer bonds to the surface, and everyday marks and contamination clean away easily.
For the station, that means quicker cleaning and columns that keep the look they were designed with.
Protected before opening.
New surfaces are easiest to protect before anyone has touched them. At Battersea, the columns were coated before the first passenger walked past.
Ready before the first tag.