USS Arizona Mall Memorial at University of Arizona. Photo: Aengus Anderson
Accella Performance Materials is very proud to be selected to support the unique architectural design of the USS Arizona Mall Memorial located on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson, AZ. The Mall Memorial, which was dedicated on December 4, 2016, is an open-space design situated on the grassy university mall area in front of the university’s historic Old Main building. The special design includes a full-scale deck outline, made with specialty materials provided by Accella, of the iconic U.S. battleship that was sunk at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941- a date which will “live in infamy” as described by then-President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The USS Arizona Mall Memorial honors the 1,177 fallen heroes who died on the USS Arizona, and it calls upon future generations to reflect and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. A curving brick wall garden, representing the ship’s bridge, cut across the campus mall near the midpoint of the ship’s outline and on top of the brick walls, panels hold brass medallions with the names of the 1,177 men who died, one medallion for each crew member.
The ship’s outline is distinctively made of Accella materials traditionally used for outdoor athletic surfaces, similar to sport tracks, to support the creative architectural design by David Carter. This 97 foot wide and 597 foot long curving 6-inch rubberized curb outlines the ship’s deck on the grass mall using custom colored red EPDM granules to match the bricks combined with a durable athletic surface polyurethane binder, both provided by Accella. The Accella sport surface materials were selected for the unique aesthetics they bring to David Carter’s design, as well as providing a durable, safe surface in one of the highest traffic and visible areas on the University of Arizona campus.
“We could not be more proud to support this meaningful memorial and that Accella’s athletic surface materials were chosen as an integral part of this unique design,” said Andy Harris, President and CEO of Accella Performance Materials. “We utilized our custom color capabilities associated with our polyurethane/EPDM sport surface products to create a surfacing result that will be a lasting and durable element of the tribute to the fallen who served on the USS Arizona. We are deeply moved to honor our veterans and those who died on the USS Arizona. Accella has many employees who are veterans and/or children of World War II veterans, and we are profoundly honored to be a part of this very special project.”
Accella, a leader in materials for indoor and outdoor sport and safety surfaces, teamed with Hellas Construction, a leader in track and sports construction, to install the rubberized surface as the outline of the USS Arizona. “We are honored to be selected to support this important memorial project. This was a detailed and one-of-a-kind project that we are very proud of, in honor of our armed forces and those who make the ultimate sacrifice,” stated Bob Allison, vice president of Hellas.
About Accella
Accella shapes ideas that enhance our lives through improved comfort, safety, sustainability and performance. Accella is a leading manufacturer of custom formulated polyurethane systems, and recycled rubber products formed from the strategic combination of Dash Multi-Corp, MarChem, Arnco, Pathway Polymers, Ultimate Systems, RB Rubber, IPS Polymer Systems, Zeus, Premium Spray Products, Coating & Foam Solutions, Burtin Polymer Labs and Quadrant Spray Foam. The polyurethane business is focused on foams, coatings, adhesives, tire fill, sealants and elastomers. The recycled rubber products business (Ultimate RB division) manufactures recycled tire crumb, custom colored EPDM granules, custom and rolled matting, equine matting, athletic flooring, playground surfacing and various custom molded products. The company manufactures in eight production facilities across the United States, one in Europe and one in China. To learn more about Accella Performance Materials and Accella Polyurethane Systems go to www.accellacorp.com.
About Ultimate RB
Ultimate RB is a leading manufacturer of recycled products and one of the largest and most technically advanced tire recyclers in the world. Ultimate RB makes high quality, customized products that contain up to 96% post-consumer waste. As the only manufacturer in the world producing its own tire crumb, colored EPDM granules and urethane binder, Ultimate RB is uniquely positioned to offer consistent quality and value to customers in a broad range of industries. To learn more about Ultimate RB go to www.ultimaterb.com.
