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Q-Park Maastricht: Safe, bright and friendly
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Q-Park Maastricht: Parking as in the seventh heaven
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No motorist would think of comparing the ambience of a multi-level car park to that of a hotel suite. Unless, that is, he has already driven his vehicle into Maastricht's "Q-Park Vrijthof 100": Showing extraordinary commitment, the Heerlen decorators Schilderwerken Bijsmans B.V. treated the wall and ceiling areas like a work of art. On approximately 13,600 square metres of concrete Capadecor Arte Glaze was applied using the cross-stroke technique – in a pure manual operation.
Whether the idea of giving building ceilings the character of a spring sky was "inspired by Michelangelo" – who knows. No matter, the interior of the Maastricht prestige car park impresses even the Dutch who are well-used to fine works of art. Celebrated by the Maastricht press as the "city's reception room", the "Q-Park" is regarded as probably the most beautiful quality car park in Europe, which, with its entry lane lined with marble and stainless steel, beckons car drivers down to the parking levels. Even if waiting at the ticket dispenser were not required, the first-time visitor would stop astonished at the entry barrier – just to take in the first impression: Clean, bright and friendly – just as one imagines a welcoming reception area. What is delightful about the trip to the parking bay is the true sense of the word "space". There is no trace of any cramped space. Under commission from the operating company, Q-Park Beheer b.v., architect Marc Hermanns from Heerlen has developed a generous spatial design which with diagonally arranged parking spaces makes parking a pleasure. |
Quality rediscovered during parking
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"No natural law says that so many car parks have to be grubby. To be able to park safely and easily close to the destination – that's what motorists are looking for, " says Peter Hinze, consultant with the Aachen decorating wholesalers, Gerhard Bock GmbH & Co. KG. With an appreciation of what was feasible and practicable, together with Dutch decorators Bijsmans B.V., he sought a design idea which would make parking in multi-level car parks more attractive and also safer: "Car parks need to be redesigned in a type of adventure car park. "In this way," says Hinze continuing, "the spoilt image of public underground car parks – dismal, frightening for women, cold and draughty – can be impressively corrected."
The task of changing an atmosphere, often perceived as being oppressive, into a type of magnet to the public using a convincing design signified a challenge for the decorating company: "One feature more important above all else appeared to me to be the safety advantages which a clearly laid out car park, bright throughout, can offer female as well as male drivers," stresses Bijsmans. In searching for a suitable interior wall technique, he found professional help at Caparol. "Just how excellently suitable Capadecor Arte Glaze is for the interior design of car parks can be seen with one's own eyes in Maastricht," says Michael Buchen, Designer and Property Consultant with Caparol.
The successful result has also convinced the customer: "Basically, in the new Q-Park every space is a woman's parking space," says Project Manager Franz van Deurssen, praising the masterly implementation. In actual fact there are no dark recesses in the new Q-Park, no dubious grubby corners. All 445 spaces are illuminated brightly and also glare-free. The parking bays are arranged diagonally in a fishbone pattern. Everything is conceived such that both women and men will like to bring their cars to Q-Park. "The new quality car park is the first in Europe which can justifiably be said to be worth seeing," says Buchen, summarising his impressions |
Arte Glaze for walls and ceiling
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You only came here to park, but you almost forget that you are standing with your car in just a car park. All around, you see soft, relaxing shades of colour: It all has a pleasantly cheerful, open and calming effect. There is no trace of feelings of fright or oppressiveness. "We have even reduced the number wall pillars, so that the visitor has an overview all the time," explains architect, Marc Hermanns.
The design, in particular the ceilings, reminds one of a fresco: To apply Arte Glaze acrylic dispersion paint, shade by shade, onto 13,600 square metres of wall and ceiling area – and manually too, using the cross-stroke technique with an oval brush – demands meticulous planning and highly detailed preparation. Before the visually perceptible part of the work could begin, Capacryl was sprayed over the whole area as a wash primer in order to obtain a uniform colour effect over the surface. Then came Arte Glaze in the Pacific 25 colour shade from the Caparol 3D system scale, applied to the walls using the cross-stroke technique. To protect the walls and wall pillars from exhaust fumes and splashed water they were then sealed with two coats of Capadecor Matt Finish. When illuminated by offset rows of luminaires, the glaze bathes the walls in a softly gleaming grey.
On the ceiling a masterpiece reveals itself in that a warm, apparently textured sky-blue adorns the car park ceiling. The effect was achieved with Capadecor Arte Glaze Aquarell 100 from Caparol's 3D colour shade scale. Even the sprinkler heads and fresh air ducts were included in the colour scheme. The application was implemented in precisely allocated grid squares. You have to look very closely before the sensor of a sprinkler reveals itself. Even the housings of the fresh air fans were taken into account in the colour scheme.
"It is a perfect illusion to experience a bright spring morning below ground," says Peter Hinze, summing up the project. Peter Bijsmans hits the nail on the head, "What we have created for Q-Park is not just a coat of paint – it is a fully accomplished design." Perhaps the "More Pleasant Parking" wave will travel over borders faster than expected. It is easy to see that the attractive Q-Park Look will be imitated soon or later. With regard to decorating technology though, Maastricht's first quality car park is way ahead of developments elsewhere. |
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