The iconic 170-metre Emirates Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, UK, has been painted and polished in time for the America’s Cup yacht race.

The Tower was painted in Flexcrete’s Monodex Smooth coating in blue and white ahead of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series.

Emirates’ metallic gold colour covers a large central section of the Tower.

Flexcrete created Monodex Metallic for the project, what it calls 'the world’s first metallic anti-carbonation coating'. Monodex Metallic is also suitable for indoor use.

The repaint was carried out as part of a £3.5 million five-year naming rights partnership between Portsmouth City Council and Dubai-based Emirates Airline.

The Emirates Spinnaker Tower is a visitor and educational attraction which soars 170 metres above Portsmouth Harbour, taller than the London Eye and visible from 23 miles away.

Originally a Millennium Project, the Tower was built as the centrepiece of the Renaissance of Portsmouth Harbour Project.

Designed by HGP Architects, engineering consultants Scott Wilson and built by Mowlem, the Emirates Spinnaker Tower has a distinctive sail design reflecting Portsmouth’s maritime heritage. There are three viewing decks offering 350° panoramic views across the city, harbour, sea and coastline.

Monodex Smooth is a water-based, high build, elastomeric, decorative coating which was specified due to its protective properties, fast curing nature and ease of application by brush, roller or airless spray, applied by specialist access contractors The Abseilers Limited with brush and roller while using roped access equipment and techniques.

Since the Emirates Spinnaker Tower was first opened in 2005, it has received over 3m visitors. With a highly complex structure and design, the Tower is founded on 84 reinforced concrete piles, the longest of which runs 50m into the sea bed.

What engineers described as a concrete ‘cake tin’ was then built on top and more concrete was pumped into this to form its solid base above the water level. The foundations support the weight of the Tower and provide a buffer against any accidental impact from vessels.

The Tower’s legs were built using a ‘slip forming’ method which involved pouring 11,000 cubic metres of concrete in a continuously moving form.

The total weight of the Tower exceeds 30,000 tonnes; the 27m spire weighs 14 tonnes and was lifted into place by crane and 1,200 tonnes of structural steel was used to form the Tower’s distinctive bows.