Urbandale, Iowa — LATICRETE, a manufacturer of systems for the installation of ceramic tile and stone, provided a GREENGUARD-certified installation system for the 5,050 square feet of SICIS mosaic glass tiles installed by the Des Moines Marble & Mantel Company as the exterior façade of the 10 story Paragon Prairie Tower in Urbandale, Iowa. The LATICRETE System was supplied locally by Pete Bird at the Sunderland Brothers Company. At Coverings 2008, the Paragon Prairie Tower project took home a Spectrum Award in the category of Commerical – Mosaic/Glass Tile.

Owned by R&R Realty in Des Moines and designed by David Dahlquist from RDG Dahlquist Art Studio, the Paragon Prairie Tower was created to provide a new destination icon for the state of Iowa and to pay homage to the native tall grass prairies that once covered much of what today is Iowa farmland. The Des Moines Marble & Mantel Co. installed 1.8 million pieces of 5/8” x 5/8” mosaic glass tiles with the LATICRETE System in trying circumstances, which included wind, rain, humidity and extreme heights. The 118-foot Paragon Prairie Tower is a true masterpiece from conception to installation, quickly becoming recognized as one of America’s signature tile installations.

The Sunderland Brothers Company supplied Des Moines Marble & Mantel Co. with LEED-compliant setting materials from LATICRETE, including LATICRETE 9235 Waterproofing Membrane, LATICRETE 254 Platinum and LATICRETE SpectraLOCK PRO Grout. The finished project is now recognized as the largest exterior mosaic glass mural installation in the US.

At Coverings 2008, twenty-one winning projects were honored with an annual Spectrum or Prism Award for imaginative and visionary use of tile and stone. The Spectrum Awards focused on installations of ceramic tile, while the Prism Awards recognize exceptional use of natural stone.

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