Construction of major building projects in bustling urban areas is always challenging. However, the $700 million Lyrik Back Bay mixed-use development in Boston set a new benchmark for logistical complexity. This ambitious endeavor required building over the eight-lane Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) and two MBTA/Amtrak rail lines. It is the first significant air rights development in Boston in 40 years.

Lyrik Back Bay broke ground in 2020. It first opened to the public and tenants in 2024 with continued retail openings and office tenant move-ins throughout 2025. The site, which features a 20-story tower with 450,000 square feet of world-class office and lab space, already is serving as the North American headquarters for several leading companies, including a global toymaker and an online automotive retailer.

The development also includes CitizenM Boston Back Bay Hotel, which is tracking LEED® certification; an underground parking facility; retail and restaurant spaces; and a half-acre European-style public plaza. Beyond new amenities, the project reconnects the Back Bay, Fenway and South End neighborhoods, which were divided by the turnpike’s expansion 40 years ago.

The development also brings stunning visuals to the Boston skyline with sleek exteriors that were carefully fabricated and finished to withstand the elements and the test of time.

Subcontractor Ferguson Neudorf Glass was responsible for the fabrication, assembly and installation of the unitized aluminum, glass and formed-metal curtain walls, while Spectrum Metal Finishing performed the finishing work on the exterior façades for the office tower and luxury hotel. The companies needed a durable, long-lasting coating solution that would deliver on the aesthetic requirements of the project.

Ultimately, each was finished with a two-coat PPG CORAFLON® powder coating system, formulated with fluoroethylene vinyl ether (FEVE) resins. This was a crucial choice for the long-term performance of the buildings’ exteriors, which must endure weather extremes that range from harsh, snowy winters to hot, humid summers and lots of temperature fluctuations in between.

Fluoropolymer resins, available in both FEVE and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) formulations, are known for their exceptional weather resistance (UV light, humidity, salt spray) and typically provide up to a 20-year warranty for adhesion, color and chalking on aluminum substrates when applied by an approved applicator like Spectrum.

Picking the Powders

For Lyrik Back Bay, over 29,000 pounds of PPG powder topcoat (plus the equivalent amount for the primer) was required to finish the formed panels for the office tower and four-star hotel. While the setting is inland, developer Samuels & Company and the architectural firm of Elkus Manfredi specified the highest level of protection, surpassing what is normally required for coastal environments.

While PPG Coraflon powder meets FGIA/AAMA 2605 performance specifications in just one coat, a two-coat system was used that included a powder primer (PCS79102) followed by a powder topcoat (PCNT29308) in White Terracotta for added protection.

“The level of protection was above and beyond what a typical seacoast application would receive for corrosion resistance and weatherability to preserve not only the structural integrity of the metal, but also long-lasting color and gloss,” says Jared Ruggieri, national sales manager for Spectrum.

Architectural-grade Powder Coatings

Powder coatings are the chemistry of choice for architectural applications due to some attractive features. FEVE-based exterior-grade coatings like PPG Coraflon powder have been used on architectural applications like curtain walls, building facades and extrusions for monumental buildings and commercial storefronts for over 30 years.

They offer significant sustainability advantages, such as formulations made without solvents that release VOCs during curing and the ability to be reclaimed. Additionally, powder coatings have excellent mechanical properties, including hardness, scratch and abrasion resistance, resistance to dirt pickup, a more uniform appearance regardless of orientation and a thicker film build compared to most standard liquid coatings.

There are a few additional advantages that add to powder coatings’ value proposition that tipped the scales in their favor for Lyrik Back Bay:

• While many architectural liquid coatings use acrylic resin components for increased weather resistance, they are not required in FEVE based powders
• Powders can meet FGIA/AAMA 2605 performance requirements in a single coat
  Micas and metallics do not require the additional layer of a clear protective topcoat
• No solvents are required for thinning and cleanup

Architectural-grade powders like PPG Coraflon powder offer versatility when it comes to design, including:

• Textures: stone and granite, speckle, velvet touch, rolling
• Sheens: matte to high gloss
• Anodized metal finishes

The New Standard in Urban Development

Lyrik Back Bay serves as an important development that demonstrates innovation in both design and construction for Boston. The PPG Coraflon powder coating system helped meet the aesthetic demands presented by the design team while exceeding the expectations set for durability and performance of a modern commercial structure.

Now, with exceptional weather resistance, Lyrik Back Bay is poised to withstand any harsh New England weather for decades to come, preserving its structural integrity and stunning visual appeal.

Partnering with Spectrum Metal Finishing, one of the largest privately held architectural coaters of both liquid and powder coating solutions in the U.S. and a long-standing member of PPG’s Certified Applicator Program™ (CAP), contributed to the project’s success.

“For Lyrik Back Bay, the architectural team was comfortable moving forward with PPG because of the company’s history in manufacturing high-performance architectural coatings and their highly regarded technical expertise,” Ruggieri says.

The development delivers a bold statement on what is possible when cutting-edge design, engineering and high performance come together.

Gary Edgar is the national architectural specification manager for PPG’s building products in North America, which includes factory applied PPG DURANAR® liquid coatings and PPG CORAFLON PLATINUM® powder coating. He has been with PPG for 27 years, with 18 years devoted exclusively to Air-Dry Fluoropolymer coating systems. Gary is an active member of industry associations including, AEC, FGIA, AAMP and MCA. He also is responsible for PPG’s coil, extrusion (powder/liquid) and ADS warranty approval and is an AAMP/NACE Certified Coating Inspector.