Hydropanel, Marley’s dry construction building board, has recently been used to carry out remedial work on Matter nightclub in the O2 Dome in Greenwich.

Hydropanel was specified as a tile backing board in the toilets because the fibre cement used in its manufacture offers water and impact resistance – both essential requirements for this busy international venue.

Previously, plywood had been used as the tile backing, however high levels of moisture had caused it to expand resulting in the tiles cracking and dislodging.

Hydropanel addressed this issue because it is water resistant, which means the tiles remain in place even when the area is saturated with water, which sometimes occurs with burst pipes or overflowing sinks.

Matter nightclub was designed and built by Collins Construction and included interior design input from architectural firm Pentagram. Hydropanel fibre cement boards were used to carry out essential remedial work on the exterior walls of the unisex and ladies toilets in the nightclub.

Hydropanel was also specified to ensure the acoustic atmosphere created from one of the world’s most advanced 115dB sound systems is effectively harmonised throughout the club. This is because the density of fibre cement gives Hydropanel acoustic advantages over certain other building boards.

Dave Wood, Project Manager at Collins Construction, commented: "Hydropanel provided a solution to the high moisture levels in the toilets because it is water resistant and therefore perfect as a tile backing board. Matter nightclub is a truly world-class arena, and as it has a state of the art music system, controlling the sound levels throughout the club was also vital."

The Hydropanel boards supplied on this project were 12mm thick, which enabled them to be fitted as a direct replacement to the failed plywood backing boards. At 2.6m wide and 1.2m long, this new smaller size from Marley enabled easy handling, which was important as the venue remained open during the remedial work.

Jayne Arkell, Marley Business Manager – Hydropanel, said: "This was a fantastic project to be a part of and really demonstrated the many benefits of our Hydropanel fibre cement building board."

Tiles, paint or wallpaper can be applied directly onto Hydropanel boards in the case of walls or ceilings. When used on floors, tiles or carpets can be applied directly. Hydropanel can be installed on commercial or residential projects as a direct replacement to plaster board. It reinforces the buildings structure and can support very heavy loads.