AkzoNobel Restoring
Jakarta’s Old Town as
City Bids for UNESCO
World Heritage Status
AkzoNobel’s color and coatings expertise is playing a major role in restoring
the historic Kota Tua (old town) area of
Jakarta in Indonesia. It’s hoped that the
partnership – established as part of the
company’s Human Cities initiative – will
help the site to secure UNESCO World
Heritage status.
The restoration work – which will
include repainting the Jakarta History
Museum – is scheduled to be carried out
in two phases and will also extend to other parts of the city.
Regarded as an important cultural
and historical icon, Kota Tua dates back
to the 16th century and is home to sev-
eral landmark buildings. It’s currently in
the running to be Indonesia’s ninth site on
the UNESCO World Heritage list, with a
final decision expected in mid-2017.
“We are honored to have partnered
with the Government of Jakarta to help
restore these iconic landmarks, which
represent the city’s living history,” said
Jeremy Rowe, managing director of
AkzoNobel’s Decorative Paints busi-
ness in South East and South Asia and
Middle East.
“Our Human Cities initiative is de-
signed to help cities become more liveable
and inspiring and preserving and protect-
ing cultural heritage is an integral part of
that. The work we are doing in Kota Tua
is a great example of what we are trying
to achieve and is one of many Human
Cities projects we are committed to sup-
porting around the world.”
Added Governor of Jakarta, Basuki
Tjahaja Purnam: “With AkzoNobel’s
partnership, the community will now
be better able to appreciate the beauty
and cultural heritage of Kota Tua. We
would also welcome more corporate
organizations joining us in order to
restore and raise awareness for Kota
Tua’s rich history.”
The first phase of the restoration proj-
ect will include repainting Jakarta History
Museum (Museum Fatahillah), Museum
Seni Rupa and the Kota Intan bridge. In
addition, 50 trash bins made from recy-
cled Dulux paint drums will be placed at
other museums in Kota Tua. Phase two
will include the restoration of Museum
Bahari and Museum Wayang, while shel-
ters, bridges and flyovers in other parts of
Jakarta will also be repainted.
Commenting on the partnership,
Jun de Dios, director of AkzoNobel
Decorative Paints Indonesia, said: “We
cannot move forward without understanding and celebrating our past, so it’s
Axalta Partners With Ray Evernham to Preserve Iconic “American Graffiti” 1958 Chevrolet Impala
Ray Evernham has partnered with Axalta Coating Systems to
bring this piece of movie history and Americana back to life. The
car will be unveiled in Axalta’s booth #22391 at the 2016 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas
November 1-4.
“When I was a teenager growing up in New Jersey, this car
represented everything that was cool about America’s car cul-
ture – independence, coming of age, freedom and enjoying
your life with your buddies,” said Evernham. “This car has been
on my dream list forever. To now own it and lead the preserva-
tion of this incredible piece of American history is truly an honor.
To me, it’s like preserving the ‘Mona Lisa’.”
“To save this car for future generations, we have to go back
42 years to its original movie condition,” noted Evernham. “It
really is a forensic preservation. We have to completely take
it apart, catalog every piece and then repair those pieces. Ev-
ery piece of chrome will be straightened and re-chromed. The
emblems will be re-chromed as well. The nuts and bolts will be
re-plated. The interior has been entirely disassembled, cleaned
and will be reinstalled. Everything we took off is going back on
the car. Even the rear tires are original.”
Using Axalta’s Cromax ChromaPremier, Evernham will also
replace the paint and famous red striping on the vehicle to make
it look exactly like it did in the movie.
“Paint technology has come a long way since 1958,” stated
Harry Christman, Axalta North American Cromax Brand man-
ager. “The paint scheme still represents the most recognizable
aspect of this iconic car. Axalta’s goal with this restoration is to
precisely match the original colors to preserve the vehicle’s heri-
tage and protect this unique piece of history for years to come.”
Following the debut, Evernham plans to show the car at a
range of car shows across the country. The restoration will ap-
pear in an upcoming season of “AmeriCarna” on Velocity.
