Press Release – August 30, 2018 – Explorer Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic Antarctic hut has been saved and restored thanks to a successful fundraising campaign and the application of coatings donated by AkzoNobel.
A specialist team from the Antarctic Heritage Trust spent three months toiling in temperatures as low as minus 40°C to renovate the famous landmark, which was built in 1957 and contains hundreds of precious artefacts.
Exterior work included building a new aluminum roof over the existing leaky one. The metal is coated with a special topcoat batch of the company’s Polydure® coil coatings.
“As a company with more than 200 years of experience in developing paints and coatings, we understand the importance of preserving history and heritage,” said Greg Foster, AkzoNobel’s Sales Manager for Coil Coatings in South Asia. “So we were delighted to support such a significant restoration project and help safeguard such an important building.”
The hut was originally constructed for the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition. It houses more than 500 artefacts, which have now been painstakingly conserved by Antarctic Heritage Trust experts. The aluminum for the new roof was painted by AkzoNobel customer Pacific Coil Coaters in New Zealand and installed by specialist standing seam roofer, Mike Burgess.
“We built the new roof on top of the existing roof so that in 50 or 100 years, if future conservators want to restore the building to what it was, all of the original building will still be present,” explained Chris Ansin from the Antarctic Heritage Trust. “To preserve these huts is preserving their legacies.”
Money for the million-dollar project was raised in Hillary’s native New Zealand and included a government contribution of $180,000. The explorer is perhaps best known for being the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
His hut forms part of Scott Base, New Zealand’s only Antarctic research station. It joins several other buildings on the frozen continent to have been coated by AkzoNobel, including the British Antarctic Survey’s Halley VI research station and explorer Robert Swan’s e-Base at Bellingshausen.
About AkzoNobel
AkzoNobel has a passion for paint. We’re experts in the proud craft of making paints and coatings, setting the standard in color and protection since 1792. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. Headquartered in the Netherlands, we operate in over 80 countries and employ around 35,000 talented people who are passionate about delivering the high performance products and services our customers expect. The sale of our Specialty Chemicals business is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. For more information please visit www.akzonobel.com.
About AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals
Industries worldwide rely on our essential chemistry in the manufacture of everyday products such as paper, plastics, building materials, and personal care items. Building on the dedication of our 9,500 employees and our shared commitment to safety, sustainability, and open innovation, we have established a world-class business and built strong partnerships with our customers. We operate in over 80 countries around the world and our portfolio of industry leading brands includes Eka, Dissolvine, Trigonox, and Berol.
