Gulf Construction Online - Mapei stars at theme park

Sealants

Bollywood Parks ... Mapei products were used on the floors and walls of the project.

Mapei stars at theme park

01 October 2017

Mapei’s adhesives and grouts were used extensively across Bollywood Parks in Dubai, successfully meeting the varied construction challenges posed by the renowned theme park.

When the finishings contractor was looking for a suitable flooring solution for Bollywood Parks in Dubai – the only theme park focused on Mumbai and its renowned film industry – it turned to Mapei, a leading manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and chemical products for the building industry.

In 2016, the finishing work of the project was awarded to Plafond, a leading fit-out company in the region. Based on its reputation for being a leading manufacturer of a wide range of chemical products for construction, Mapei was selected to provide solutions addressing Bollywood Parks’ varied and complex needs.

Mapei was asked to provide installation solutions to a total of 13 buildings, stores and restaurants, according to a company spokesman. It was involved in 30,000 sq m of tiling work for common and public areas.

He says Mapei presented the client with systems to cover the adhesive and grouting needs.

“Solutions were required for floor and wall installations in various locations, including the Hall of Heroes, Cinemagic, Bollywood Boulevard East, Snap Shot, Victoria Station Cafe, Don Mumbai Bazer, Spicy Dhaba, Sholay, Lagaan, Bollywood Haat, Dabaang and the Pyrotechnic Daystore. The solutions presented by the Mapei team also covered the park’s bathrooms, as they required a similar tile/porcelain installation system,” the spokesman says.

Mapei had a competitive advantage over other chemical manufacturers due to its product range, namely Kerapoxy and Kerapoxy Design, covering an extensive colour collection – which suited the client’s very colourful Bollywood Theme, he points out.

The biggest challenges faced by Mapei were the climate and immense foot traffic expected at the park.

Bollywood Parks ... the largest of its kind in the world.

“The park is predominantly outdoors, therefore, the products were required to be resistant to the very high heat and humidity prevalent in the UAE. Secondly, with millions of guests expected at the park, the grouting solution needed to be resistant to the potential heavy wear and tear,” says the spokesman.

Mapei proposed Adesilex P9 as the tile adhesive for the porcelain tiles, where a high-performance cementitious adhesive with no vertical slip and extended open time was required. Moreover, Keraflex Maxi S1 was selected in areas of high traffic and where some deformability was a requirement.

In addition, Mapei’s extensive grout range was perfect for Bollywood Parks’ needs, the spokesman says. Kerapoxy, a two-component acid-resistant epoxy grout, was used for the indoor and outdoor grouting of the park’s floor and wall marble coverings.

Meanwhile, Kerapoxy Design – a two-component, decorative, epoxy resin-based grout – was used for decorative finishes in both indoor and outdoor environments. The client selected either the Kerapoxy or Kerapoxy Design depending on the required colour for the specific area.

Bollywood Parks is owned by Dubai’s Meraasland Entertainment Resort and is the latest offering from Dubai Parks and Resorts. It opened its doors in October 2016.

The 1.7-million-sq-ft park offers visitors six hotels, 16 cinematic rides, six themed restaurants, a giant 850-seat Rajmahal theatre, an extraordinary Taj Mahal-style centrepiece, 400 performers and 30 different shows per day, to name a few.

The park is expected to not only attract Bollywood fans, but give people from all around the world the opportunity to discover one of the biggest film industries and cultures in the world.

Additionally, the unique project prides itself in being the largest integrated theme park on the planet, promising a cultural explosion – millions of visitors from the region are expected to travel to Dubai to experience the attraction.