Helsinki Ice Hall receives stylish stair revamp

The stairs of an ice hall are among those rare coating applications in which wear resistance and appearance requirements are strongly at odds. Thanks to Teknos’ R&D efforts, this challenge can be solved using water-borne paints.

The ice hockey season lasts from mid-September to late spring. This means that ice halls’ concrete stairs have to face and endure just about every condition imaginable as sand, snow, sleet and water – and various combinations of these four elements – leave their mark night after night. HIFK is a hockey team that values itself and its audience. The team image must remain immaculate under all conditions, because only the best is good enough for HIFK fans. When HIFK began planning the renovation of the legendary ice hall, nicknamed ’Nordis’ after its address Nordenskiöldinkatu, this team, which is very particular about protecting its brand, turned to Teknos for advice and expertise on paint.

- Our starting point was to achieve a stronger feeling of being at home based on the appearance of Nordis’ walls and stairs. After all, the team colour combination of blue and red is what people have come to know us for over the years. The surfaces must endure extreme wear, but it also was obvious to us that their shades of blue and red would be examined under a microscope, says HIFK’s Sales Manager Jussi Patjas, explaining the joint decision to cooperate with Teknos made by HIFK and Planex Oy, the company helping with the renovation plans.

TEKNOFLOOR AQUA – a durable water-borne coating solution

The new TEKNOFLOOR AQUA was used to help achieve a high-quality finish that meets strict style and quality requirements. It is a water-borne one-component floor paint for concrete and wooden surfaces. This paint is effortless to apply and has a short drying time, making it quick and very user-friendly to use.

In this project, the challenge of finding the right shade was even greater than usual.  Teknos’ tinting service developed custom recipes for blue and red, to perfectly match HIFK’s team colours.

The idea underlying the painting project was to introduce the team’s identity and colours around the ice hall, in a natural, unobtrusive manner. In addition to the stairs, the walls received a new coat of paint using TEKNOSPRO 10, a matt and durable wall paint.

Practice makes champions

When it comes to getting the colours right, vast concrete surfaces are exceptionally challenging. In this project, another challenge was posed by the blue colour of the stairs leading to the ice rink. Despite having precise specifications for the tinting process, Teknos wanted to ensure the quality of the paint finish, by using test patches. Jussi Patjas has only one word to describe the outcome: “Brilliant.”

- The colours are spot on. The team is delighted with the paint job, and we have received lots of positive feedback from fans. The work has been executed with style, and the paint is showing outstanding wear resistance. And most importantly, our visual message shines through perfectly. Our ultimate goal was achieved: the walls and stairs of the Helsinki Ice Hall reflect the true style and spirit of HIFK.

TEKNOFLOOR AQUA and TEKNOSPRO 10 have proven their mettle, as quality coatings for demanding applications, on the stairs and walls of Helsinki Ice Hall, home of HIFK. These paints are prime examples of durable, high-quality coating solutions developed by Teknos, which make success easy in the most demanding painting projects. Jussi Patjas also complements Teknos for its smooth cooperation, which brought added value to both parties. The teaming up of a hockey team and paint factory, both native to Helsinki, turned out to be a winning combination.