The "El Batel" state-of-the-art building in Cartagena, Spain, covers 17.000 m2 and was designed by renowned Spanish architects José Selgas and Lucía Cano. Crowned with the prestigious Biennial Spanish Architecture award, El Batel’s design is influenced by the harbor and sea.In addition to its eye-catching architectural design, the building is known for the use of innovative materials, made locally in Cartagena. SABIC supported this award-winning project through the development of a polycarbonate material with special luminescent pigments. The result is a special grade of Lexan resin, a polycarbonate that enables light transmission and the creation of color effects inside and outside the building. Furthermore, Lexan resin helps to absorb sunlight and to illuminate the corridors at night. A total of 110 tons of Lexan resin was used to create a surface of more than 1.500m2 in tubes and façade profiles. SABIC collaborated with Polimer Tecnic, the molder responsible for the design feasibility, to supply the material in specific colors and sizes on a strict deadline.
