The Midas Touch
There's "class" and then there's "classy." Most people will agree there's a difference between the two, even if they can't quite put a finger on it.
In gambling casino-filled Atlantic City, for instance, much of what glitters is pretty classy. But for the look of real class, Donald Trump's Taj Mahal Casino Resort went for the gold. Real gold.
The original color motif of Trump's flagship involved multi-colored minarets (over a hundred of them) that rose from the casino and hotel. These served the purpose of steering customers to "the Taj" as they drove into the ever-expanding New Jersey gaming town. The pattern of purple, red and yellow that spiraled on each onion-shaped dome certainly was eye-catching.
In gambling casino-filled Atlantic City, for instance, much of what glitters is pretty classy. But for the look of real class, Donald Trump's Taj Mahal Casino Resort went for the gold. Real gold.
The original color motif of Trump's flagship involved multi-colored minarets (over a hundred of them) that rose from the casino and hotel. These served the purpose of steering customers to "the Taj" as they drove into the ever-expanding New Jersey gaming town. The pattern of purple, red and yellow that spiraled on each onion-shaped dome certainly was eye-catching.
But who's going to disagree when Trump's instincts tell him the look should be changed? Those instincts have served him very well many times before. One day in early '96, as his limo entered the Taj's fountain-framed Porte Cochere, he decided that it was time to give the great building a refreshing makeover. And he thought of the facelifts certain structures near his New York City office had recently received via the application of gold leaf trim, particularly a building at 57 W. 57th Street. That was the look that would shout "class" and enhance the Taj's position of pre-eminence in A.C.!
Linda Stein, the Taj's construction manager, was assigned the task of creating new color schemes that would include the gilded look, and eventually a basic gold-on-white motif was selected. "We weren't sure at first if we wanted to go all gold and white, or leave some of the colors in place," she recalls. "We also looked at an all-gold scheme. However, Mr. Trump made the decision to go with white and gold."
It was also decided to conduct the project in phases, beginning with the entrance side that faces in-land. (The opposite entrance is on the historic boardwalk overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.) The first phase began in August 1996 and was stopped a few months later. Application of gold leaf is a challenging task better left for the warmer, less windy weather.
Trump contracted Hudson-Shatz Painting, a large NYC-based contractor, to handle the job. "He called us because of our gold leaf experience," says Bill Testori, VP-Estimating at Hudson-Shatz. "We've done gold leaf work at Carnegie Hall, the Palace Hotel, the St. Regis Hotel, the New York Life Building, the Riggs Library at Georgetown University (D.C.), the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, and also the Prometheus statue at the Rockefeller Center, to name a few."
Projected cost of the gold leaf alone was $1-million. That sort of investment requires careful selection of vendors. "To protect our warranties, we wanted to go with a top-notch contractor," notes Stein.
23.5 Carats Worth of Class
Another consideration was the availablility of gold leaf. It is, after all, a precious metal and tied to the price fluctuations of the commodities market. It's available from only a few suppliers but in a number of grades. The Taj chose an exterior grade, 23.5 carat.
"There's zinc and copper in gold leaf," explains Testori. "A 23.5 carat gold is approximately 95 percent gold and 5 percent zinc and copper. There's no such thing as 100 percent gold leaf because it can't be made into foil. The zinc and copper are needed for flexibility."
The combination of zinc and copper also affects the coloring. Adding zinc lightens it, adding copper darkens it.
Even used outdoors, the gold leaf is guaranteed for ten years, although there are plenty of examples of applications that are well over 30 years old and still look great.
Maintenance is simple. "Gold leaf has a way of washing and cleansing itself with the elements," Testori adds. "When it rains it continues to create a luster."
Du Pont Coatings Selected
Of course, you wouldn't apply such expensive trim to a surface that was not carefully prepared and coated with a top-shelf finish. Linda Stein had prior experience with Du Pont's High Performance Coatings and was specific in her instructions to the painting contractor.
"The construction management folks at the Taj were very strong in saying that they wanted to go with IMRONR" recalls Testori. "It's specified a lot by architects because it gives you that 'automotive finish' look."
For the most part, the facade is fiberglass. Adhesion of the primer to the fiberglass is important. Preparation involved a high-pressure wash, followed by light sanding. Du Pont CorlarR high-solids epoxy was used as the primer, and IMRON 333 polyurethane enamel for the white coat.
Du Pont Alum Consults
The Taj even went so far as to hire a paint expert to consult on application of the coatings. Fenton Groff, who retired as a Du Pont paint salesperson in 1985 after almost 40 years service and has been a consultant since then, served as liaison with the painting contractor, and will do so when the project resumes. One of his main functions is to advise on mixing the paints to reduce the problems caused by the weather.
"The ocean is right there so they have to be careful with the wind, and the temperature can drop rapidly," notes Groff. "There's also a large fountain at the entrance, and the wind whipped the spray from the fountain at us on several occasions.
"When the painters have difficulty with the high winds or changing temperatures, we have different additives that can be used for better performance," says Groff. "I make sure the painters know which additive to use and how to use it."
Why was CorlarR selected for the primer coat? "CorlarR adheres to the fiberglass really well," he notes. " Once it sets up, you can't scratch it with a knife. Also, this first area that was painted is high-traffic . . . so you want a fast-drying paint."
A coat of clear IMRON 610 polyurethane enamel was applied over the gold leaf, but only in the lower lying areas where protection from human elements is a factor.
This spring, the rest of the Porte Cochere, including the minarets visible on that side of the Taj, are being finished in the white and gold motif. According to Stein, it will then be determined whether the same look should be applied to the Boardwalk side of the building.
Her bet is the decision will be: do it! "It is a very impressive look," she adds. No doubt just what Donald Trump had envisioned.
Linda Stein, the Taj's construction manager, was assigned the task of creating new color schemes that would include the gilded look, and eventually a basic gold-on-white motif was selected. "We weren't sure at first if we wanted to go all gold and white, or leave some of the colors in place," she recalls. "We also looked at an all-gold scheme. However, Mr. Trump made the decision to go with white and gold."
It was also decided to conduct the project in phases, beginning with the entrance side that faces in-land. (The opposite entrance is on the historic boardwalk overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.) The first phase began in August 1996 and was stopped a few months later. Application of gold leaf is a challenging task better left for the warmer, less windy weather.
Trump contracted Hudson-Shatz Painting, a large NYC-based contractor, to handle the job. "He called us because of our gold leaf experience," says Bill Testori, VP-Estimating at Hudson-Shatz. "We've done gold leaf work at Carnegie Hall, the Palace Hotel, the St. Regis Hotel, the New York Life Building, the Riggs Library at Georgetown University (D.C.), the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, and also the Prometheus statue at the Rockefeller Center, to name a few."
Projected cost of the gold leaf alone was $1-million. That sort of investment requires careful selection of vendors. "To protect our warranties, we wanted to go with a top-notch contractor," notes Stein.
23.5 Carats Worth of Class
Another consideration was the availablility of gold leaf. It is, after all, a precious metal and tied to the price fluctuations of the commodities market. It's available from only a few suppliers but in a number of grades. The Taj chose an exterior grade, 23.5 carat.
"There's zinc and copper in gold leaf," explains Testori. "A 23.5 carat gold is approximately 95 percent gold and 5 percent zinc and copper. There's no such thing as 100 percent gold leaf because it can't be made into foil. The zinc and copper are needed for flexibility."
The combination of zinc and copper also affects the coloring. Adding zinc lightens it, adding copper darkens it.
Even used outdoors, the gold leaf is guaranteed for ten years, although there are plenty of examples of applications that are well over 30 years old and still look great.
Maintenance is simple. "Gold leaf has a way of washing and cleansing itself with the elements," Testori adds. "When it rains it continues to create a luster."
Du Pont Coatings Selected
Of course, you wouldn't apply such expensive trim to a surface that was not carefully prepared and coated with a top-shelf finish. Linda Stein had prior experience with Du Pont's High Performance Coatings and was specific in her instructions to the painting contractor.
"The construction management folks at the Taj were very strong in saying that they wanted to go with IMRONR" recalls Testori. "It's specified a lot by architects because it gives you that 'automotive finish' look."
For the most part, the facade is fiberglass. Adhesion of the primer to the fiberglass is important. Preparation involved a high-pressure wash, followed by light sanding. Du Pont CorlarR high-solids epoxy was used as the primer, and IMRON 333 polyurethane enamel for the white coat.
Du Pont Alum Consults
The Taj even went so far as to hire a paint expert to consult on application of the coatings. Fenton Groff, who retired as a Du Pont paint salesperson in 1985 after almost 40 years service and has been a consultant since then, served as liaison with the painting contractor, and will do so when the project resumes. One of his main functions is to advise on mixing the paints to reduce the problems caused by the weather.
"The ocean is right there so they have to be careful with the wind, and the temperature can drop rapidly," notes Groff. "There's also a large fountain at the entrance, and the wind whipped the spray from the fountain at us on several occasions.
"When the painters have difficulty with the high winds or changing temperatures, we have different additives that can be used for better performance," says Groff. "I make sure the painters know which additive to use and how to use it."
Why was CorlarR selected for the primer coat? "CorlarR adheres to the fiberglass really well," he notes. " Once it sets up, you can't scratch it with a knife. Also, this first area that was painted is high-traffic . . . so you want a fast-drying paint."
A coat of clear IMRON 610 polyurethane enamel was applied over the gold leaf, but only in the lower lying areas where protection from human elements is a factor.
This spring, the rest of the Porte Cochere, including the minarets visible on that side of the Taj, are being finished in the white and gold motif. According to Stein, it will then be determined whether the same look should be applied to the Boardwalk side of the building.
Her bet is the decision will be: do it! "It is a very impressive look," she adds. No doubt just what Donald Trump had envisioned.