Colombian Projects
Curazao Residential Complex, Bello, Antioquia
The Curazao residential complex is in the northern part of Bello, a town near Medellín, and comprises 5 towers, each one 21 storeys high with apartments of various sizes and a further two underground floors for parking. Residents also have use of a gymnasium, a swimming pool for adults and children, a wellness zone, play areas and an artificial grass pitch.
In 2015 the main contractor asked Mapei Technical Services for their help to overcome a problem with the coloured finish used for the first tower. The red colour specified by the client needed to be exactly the same as the one used for the first two completed towers and a series of laboratory tests had to be carried out to find a perfect match. The final result, which was created by using BRONCO FACHADA water-repellent acrylic paint, received the seal of approval from both the client and the designer, who were won over by the paint’s resistance to water and sunlight. The good results obtained with the paint convinced the contractor to use a series of other products proposed by Mapei for the other towers, starting with BRONCO SISMO RESISTENTE anti-seismic structural sealant.
Other products used included BRONCO HIDROFUGO, a transparent, protective waterproofing product applied on brick and concrete façades to prevent the formation of mildew and efflorescence, BRONCOELASTICO, a waterproofing product for roofs with the capacity to reduce the temperature of surfaces, BRONCOSIL, a waterproofing agent for cement, PASTA RESANE acrylic grout for repairing surfaces and PINTURA TRÁFICO, a high-bond acrylic paint for marking out road surfaces in carparks.
Mayorca Shopping Centre, Sabaneta
Colombia has an estimated 2016 population of 48.6 million, out of which 21% concentrated in Bogotá and Medellín and there are many shopping centres in or around these cities. The Mayorca Shopping Centre is located near Medellín, next to Itagüí metro station. The municipalities of Sabaneta, Envigado, Itagüí, Caldas, La Estrella and San Antonio de Prado compose its area of influence, with a population of approximately 700,000 inhabitants. It was built in 2002, and for now it is the only one in the southern part of the Aburra Valley, an area made up of the municipalities of Barbosa, Girardota, Copacabana, Bello, Medellín, Envigado, Itagüí, Sabaneta, La Estrella and Caldas. Being located in the south, it has large influx of people.
The Mayorca Mega Plaza is twelve storeys high and was built in three phases: in November 2002 the first 80 shops were opened along with an open carpark and a covered carpark with around 1,000 parking spaces and then, in 2007, a 7-screen cinema complex was inaugurated, as well as a further 120 shops, a dining area with various restaurants, banks, a casino, a fitness centre, an auditorium and an entrance leading directly from Itagüí underground railway network.
The third and final phase of the shopping centre (which now covers a total surface area of 228,000 m2) was completed last year with the inauguration of a second building opposite the previous one with more shops and office space, which is connected to the first building by two covered walkways.
Mapei supplied the products used to seal the joints in the internal walls. Mapei technicians proposed the use of BRONCO SISMO RESISTENTE sealant by Productos Bronco, a Colombian company specialised in the manufacture of waterproofing products, sealants and coating products acquired by Mapei Group in 2017. BRONCO SISMO RESISTENTE is a highly adhesive, highly elastic, granular acrylic mastic sealant used to seal structural joints in areas unsuitable for traditional mortar. Joints sealed with this particular product have the capacity to absorb movements caused by seismic activity.
