A Building That Eats Smog

"The project's main technical sponsor got to work on a coating that would enhance Mr. Meier's trademark white sculptural forms. It came up with a material that essentially cleans itself, minimizing the need for maintenance.

What the sponsor, the Italcementi Group, did not know was that the new material -- which contains titanium dioxide, a white pigment -- has another peculiarity. It 'eats' surrounding smog."

"Several companies are now developing smog-eating products that can be used not only for the facades of buildings but also in paint, plaster and paving materials for roads. The new substances are now being tried in buildings, squares and highways in Europe and Japan.

Hailed by some scientists as a breakthrough, the process is still being evaluated by others. The question, said Melanie L. Sattler, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, is 'whether coatings on buildings would be able to treat enough of the atmospheric air to make a difference.'"