“No one can see them (except Google Maps), but everyone can feel them.” The American soft drink brand Coors Light is doing its part for the planet by repainting rooftops white—and doing so artistically. Check out some examples of murals painted with reflective white paint on building rooftops. It’s a great way to combine art and environmentalism.
The Origins of Reflective Paint
Traditionally, in many countries around the Mediterranean, lime paint is used to paint roofs white and reduce the heat inside buildings.
Today, this solution has been revived by several paint manufacturers. As a result, the paint is more technically advanced; it contains reflective pigments (originally developed by NASA for rocket engines) that help block infrared and ultraviolet rays.
Why create a murals reflective paint on a roof?
This process has several advantages:
- Combating global warming: ultra-resistant, the paint has a lifespan of 10 years. Water-based, it contains no environmentally harmful products and the pots are made from recycled plastic.
- Improve thermal comfort: thermal gains starting at -3°C.
- Achieve energy savings: up to 40% and no overconsumption in winter.
- Limiting the urban heat island effect: it is compatible with all types of roofs (EPDM, bituminous membrane, zinc, steel decking, fiber cement, tiles, slates, etc.) and can therefore be easily applied on a city-wide scale.
Examples of artistic murals painted in white on rooftops
Today, some artists are starting to create murals using reflective paint. This allows them to combine art with decarbonization.
Illustrated with various interventions:
- Andaluz and Molson Coors in Miami (heat-resistant paints)
- Ella and Pitr in Paris, Munich, and Porto Rico (classical paintings)
- Ben Eine, Global Street Art, and Tupman Brothers in London (classical paintings)
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