Letoon Mimarlık General Manager Müge Günel Answers Our Questions

In the interview conducted, Müge Günel, General Director of Letoon Mimarlık, answered our questions. Günel provided information about the products and services offered by Letoon Mimarlık.

Could you briefly tell our readers about yourself, your educational background and professional experience?

I am an architect and restoration specialist with 15 years in the sector. I completed my degree at Eskişehir Osmangazi University and my master's degree in restoration at Gazi University. I am married with two sons.

Could you provide information about the founding process of Letoon Mimarlık and its current structure?

Letoon Mimarlık began providing services in 2007, initially in the restoration sector, one of our areas of specialization. Because we are an application-oriented firm, during the projects we undertook, we began conducting research on products and topics that we found lacking and believed should be available and used. Currently, we work on Surface Protection Technologies and Material Consulting across a wide spectrum ranging from restoration to the industrial sector. At the same time, we serve as Turkey representatives for specialized product groups and companies that can provide long-lasting and specific solutions tailored to where the surface protection solutions are applied or will be applied. With our specialized technical staff, professional discipline and amateur spirit in our preservation work, we always strive to be a good solution partner for the companies we work with.

Given that our country hosts many different civilizations, we have numerous historical monuments. What kind of work do you conduct in the field of Historical Monument Restoration, which requires specialized expertise?

As a restoration specialist architect, the projects that our firm has undertaken and manages in this area certainly hold special significance for me. I always say that restoration is half a labor of love. Everything that needs to be done should be done correctly, with sensitivity, with full awareness of the importance and difficulty of this work, without any gaps. There is no room for error here, and as a matter of principle, our firm is truly meticulous about this. It must not be forgotten that every artifact we work on, as you also mentioned, is a value of our country that has hosted many different civilizations and a heritage to be passed on to future generations. Our firm has had the opportunity to work on many projects of varying sizes over more than 10 years in this sector—I cannot now recall the exact number. The first projects that come to mind where we worked, where our products were used, or where we provided consulting services are: Nusretiye Mosque, Nur-u Osmaniye Mosque, Dolmabahçe Clock Tower, Alanya Castle Shipyard, Edirnakapı Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, Kuleli Military High School, Kılıç Ali Paşa Mosque, Kılıç Ali Paşa Bath, Sivas Gök Medrese, Pera Palas Hotel, Istanbul Swedish Consulate, and others. In addition, our firm regularly organizes training seminars for students who will serve in the sector in the future.

Letoon Mimarlık serves as Turkey representative and distributor for many specialized products. Could you provide detailed information about these products and their characteristics?

Our firm primarily serves two main areas: Restoration and the Industrial sector. I would like to provide information here about our product groups for the restoration and construction sectors. Our products for the industrial sector are specialized product groups that show resistance to corrosion and chemicals, and it would be better to discuss them under a separate heading. Our firm, which has worked on numerous monumental and civil architecture projects over more than 10 years in the restoration sector, has an experienced team in this field. Our firm is known for successful applications and training work, particularly on micro-blasting for surface cleaning that allows sensitive and controlled work on historical monuments. In this field, we have maintained a joint partnership structure in Turkey for approximately 10 years with Italian IBIX Micro Blasting Systems manufacturer. Although surface cleaning work in restoration may appear simple at first glance, if done incorrectly, it can cause irreversible damage to the artifact and material.

"As Letoon Mimarlık, we can provide flawless solutions with KEIM brand's 'Concrete Repair and Protection' products".

For this reason, it is important that such work be carried out under the supervision and control of restorers and architects whom we call experts in the field, with the care and sensitivity required by the subject, and by developing a special cleaning/repair/protection procedure tailored to the artifact. Another product group whose representation we have managed for approximately 8 years is KEIM Potassium Silicate paints—a special product that is non-combustible, does not release harmful gases during fire, contains no VOC, is breathable, slowly soils, is easily cleaned, does not drip as it hardens into the substrate, does not blister, does not fade, and is ecological and sustainable. KEIM, a 140-year-old company, has a permanent, durable and extensive product range that has helped in restoration and in preserving the value of our historical monuments and passing them on to future generations. Additionally, in the construction sector, we have had the opportunity to work on truly special projects, particularly in improving raw concrete surfaces while preserving their concrete character. If you permit, I would like to briefly address this topic. Regarding the resolution of problems with raw concrete surfaces—one of the major problems architects encounter and complain about—as Letoon Mimarlık, we can provide flawless solutions with KEIM brand's "Concrete Repair and Protection" products. Raw concrete must be accepted as it comes out of the mold, and it was previously difficult to repair it without losing its distinctive properties. After repairs were made, the concrete, unfortunately, lost its original appearance. In many cases, concrete was not repaired at all; instead, it was plastered over to conceal defects. On new concrete surfaces, typical defects such as color differences and discoloration appeared.

"We can provide flawless solutions with 'Concrete Repair and Protection' products"

Now all of these are no longer problems with KEIM concrete protection products. Operating by the motto "mineral-based protection for a mineral-based material," KEIM is a brand that has proven itself in the renovation, protection and design of raw concrete and fiber-reinforced concrete structures with more than 40 years of experience and expertise, reliability and quality in mineral architectural protection systems. In recent times, KEIM products have been used to protect and/or design numerous raw concrete projects of different scales, ranging from sports stadiums to airports, from museums to administrative and industrial buildings, from residential properties to radio and television towers. KEIM is an expert in mineral building materials and particularly in concrete minerals. Dalaman Airport, Harbiye Army House, Troy Museum, METU Research Center, Lüleburgaz HEAŞ Thermal Power Station Cooling Towers, Gebze Center Hotel, Gaziantep Primemall Shopping Center are just a few of the many projects we have worked with using this product group that come to mind. As of January 2018, our newest product group representation is Evonik Protectosil. With more than 60 years of silane production, research and development activities, the Evonik Protectosil product group provides solutions suitable for all requirements needed for building protection. Many well-known buildings throughout the world are protected with Protectosil® building protection products. With Protectosil product groups, for both historical and modern buildings, water repellency, delayed soiling and easy cleaning; for concrete structures, corrosion control, anti-graffiti products and consolidation—you can find the most suitable product or product combinations for any application and material needed.

Corrosion and rust are particularly the greatest enemies of metal structures. Could you provide information about your Corrosion Prevention and Anti-Corrosion work?

As mentioned earlier, the other area our firm serves is the industrial sector. In this sector, our firm, which specializes particularly in anti-corrosion technologies, has a broad product portfolio, each with its own special characteristics. I would like to provide brief information about our product groups for which we hold representation. Roval Cold Galvanizing product: a cold galvanizing product that allows on-site application and provides protection equivalent to hot galvanizing with high anti-corrosion performance. It contains 96% pure zinc by dry film thickness. Gladiator Thermoplastic Coating Systems, a system resistant to corrosion and chemicals, resistant to low temperatures and UV, does not require primer, and provides long-term corrosion protection. Rustbullet, applied directly over rust, requires little or no surface preparation and thus reduces or completely eliminates surface preparation costs. This product, which holds two separate patents in American defense industry, is completely environmentally friendly. It is applied directly to rusted or clean metal surfaces by brush, roller or spray method. It has superior adhesion strength. Top coat is not required unless desired. It can compete with many topcoat products. It is non-conductive with superior dielectric strength and chemical resistance. UV resistance is high. AKS-Polymer Silicate Coating Systems; another product group whose representation we acquired toward the end of 2017. It has features of corrosion prevention/long-term protection and resistance to chemicals in the 0-14 range. Does not require primer. Can be easily and quickly applied to concrete and steel surfaces. This product group, a long-lasting solution for demanding environments, has been used in projects such as Kırıkkale Barut Factory Reactor Floors, Çorlu Tuna Aluminum treatment channels and automation platform, and İzmir Hugo Boss Chiller Unit Renovation. All of our product groups for which we hold representation in both the construction/restoration sector and the industrial sector are economical, long-lasting, durable products. In short, they are products that require no repeated renovation, which we describe as "do once and forget."