For over 30 years, PPG and Spectrum Metal Finishing have teamed up to bring some of the most iconic architectural projects to life. From Pier 17 and Hudson Yards in Manhattan, to Lyrik Back Bay in Boston, their collaboration has left a lasting mark on the skyline.
PPG and Spectrum Metal Finishing: A Dynamic Duo in Architecture
Based in Youngstown, Ohio, Spectrum is a proud member of PPG’s Certified Applicator Program™ (CAP). This prestigious program includes a select group of extrusion coating applicators, that are rigorously audited to ensure that they meet the highest quality standards when applying PPG’s high-performance protective finishes, such as DURANAR® liquid products, Duranar ADS field-applied coatings, and CORAFLON® powder coatings.
Spotlight on Spectrum & PPG’s Latest Triumph
The $700 million Lyrik Back Bay development in Boston is a testament to the power of this partnership. Breaking ground in 2020, this ambitious project spans the eight lane Massachusetts Turnpike and two rail lines and features a 20-story office tower, a luxury hotel, retail spaces and a public plaza. The development opened to the public and tenants in 2024.
Despite its inland location, developer Samuels & Company and the architectural firm Elkus Manfredi specified protection levels that exceed typical coastal standards. Spectrum Metal Finishing, in collaboration with Ferguson Neudorf Glass, applied a two-coat PPG Coraflon powder system to the exterior façades of the office tower and boutique hotel. This system included a powder primer followed by a FEVE-based powder topcoat.
The Rise of Powder Coatings in Monumental Architecture
Fluoropolymer-based coatings are the gold standard for monumental architecture and commercial buildings, meeting stringent FGIA/AAMA 2605 performance requirements for weathering and durability. These coatings come in both 70% PVDF resins, like PPG’s flagship Duranar liquid coatings, and FEVE-based powders, like PPG’s Coraflon coatings.
While powder coatings are the go-to choice for aluminum extrusions and building applications in Europe, liquid coatings are more commonly used in other regions, including North America. However, this is changing thanks to breakthroughs in FEVE-based architectural-grade powder technologies and a growing interest in products formulated without solvents that release volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.
FEVE-based powder fluoropolymers, with their strong fluorine-carbon bonds and thermosetting characteristics, offer impressive durability and long-lasting protection in a single coat.
Learn more about this major high-profile Boston development and why PPG Coraflon powder coatings were specified to protect it. Download the case study >