The SSE Hydro arena is currently halfway through its Eclectic Summer 2015 line up, which includes global music icons such as Taylor Swift, Elton John and Fleetwood Mac.
When the venue was being designed, the architects knew that events like this would subject the floor to 13,000 people walking, dancing and partying across it. Not to mention the unavoidable food and drink spillages, abrasions, wear and use that goes hand in hand with international entertainers putting on a show for thousands of revellers.
The unseen practicalities of large concerts would also mean that the floor finish would have to withstand the heavy stage and large pieces of equipment, which put a lot of pressure through the floor coating. There are also a multitude of heavy objects around the arena that could fall or be dropped, causing cracks in any surface unable to dissipate extreme physical impacts.
To ensure that the visitors “don’t go breaking my floor”, the SSE Hydro installed 8,500m2 of Flowfast Quartz in the arena’s main bowl area and a further 511m2 of Mondéco Classic in the VIP lounge rooms.
The robust, easy to clean nature of these coatings makes them ideal for a stadium setting, as when faced with the movement of large bodies of people for an extended period of time they can “shake it off”, retaining a seamless and unblemished surface.
The finish in the VIP area would have to maintain the environment’s high-end, luxurious aesthetics despite these challenges. To ensure that the floor consistently conveyed the room’s modern “style”, a dark Mondéco Crystal floor was installed with a blend of mirrored and clear glass chippings incorporated into the surface to create a shimmering lustre underfoot.
The vibe of the VIP lounge is effectively summed up in the below video:
The black finish, speckled with light reflective additives, adds an extra visual dimension to the environment, providing a backdrop that allows the bright green furnishings and blue lights to draw the eye, while tying the various interior design elements of the VIP area together with one smooth surface of iridescent black.
To find out how to create decorative floors that are “never going to crack again”, why not sign up to one of Flowcrete UK’s RIBA accredited CPD seminars on seamless resin terrazzo flooring.
