Ferrari World officially opened its doors on December 1, 2010. Materials from Custom® Building Products were selected for the installation of ceramic tile and natural stone on the walls and floors throughout 925,360 square feet of enclosed space, which is equivalent to seven football fields. The complex, located on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), is the largest indoor theme park in the world.

A variety of Custom adhesives, grouts and sealers were used on the project. The specifications called for a medium-bed adhesive to be used over a wire-reinforced, thick-bed leveling mortar. Marble, Granite & Travertine Premium Medium Bed Mortar was selected for installing a number of different natural stones, the majority being Italian Carrara Marble, on both floors and walls. VersaBond Flex® Fortified Thin-Set Mortar was selected for the installation of the ceramic tile and glass mosaics. Ten different colors of Polyblend® Non-Sanded Grout were used for the combined area of stone and tile, which totals 148,918 square feet.

Custom’s Aqua Mix® brand was also used on the project to solve a specific problem related to Dark Emperador Marble. The marble needed repolishing after installation to restore the color intensity that had been lost as a result of general wear and tear during construction. Because repolishing would be too costly and time-consuming, the contractors decided on an alternative approach by applying Enrich’N’Seal™ to rejuvenate the color and improve the stone’s appearance. Once sealed, the stone regained the color intensity of the polished original with an advantage of being less slippery underfoot.

“The Ferrari World project presented a unique opportunity for us. Our client, Depa, the world’s largest interior design and fit-out contractor in Dubai, was looking for a one-stop-shop solution,” explained Scott Worthington, Custom’s director of international business. “They wanted to obtain products for installing ceramic tile and natural stone, as well as compatible stone sealer protection systems, all from one manufacturer. They also wanted the products to be stocked and supported locally.”

“Custom was able to deliver on all of these requirements, as we are one of the very few companies, globally, to manufacture installation systems for tile and stone, as well as sealer systems through our Aqua Mix brand,” said Worthington. “All of the products required for the project were supplied and serviced from our local Ikan/Custom Dubai warehouse, which helped the client complete the project on time.”