Expamet donate to National Treasure

Expamet have contributed to the restoration of one of the country’s most important examples of art-deco architecture. The project will restore Colwyn Bay’s Victoria Pier to its original glory after many years of disuse and neglect.

Expamet, pioneers of Hy-Rib, supplied the original material 70 years ago, and the company was more than happy to replace any sheets that were required – whilst being able to see just how well the product had performed over the years.

The pier which was originally built in 1899 was finally rebuilt in 1934 to a design by architect S. D. Adshead after suffering two large fires and incorporated a unique stained glass art-deco ceiling in the ballroom and murals by celebrated war artist Eric Ravilious.

Sadly, following a decline in popularity the ballroom was closed in 1958 and the pier was sold ten years later to a leisure group who were less than sympathetic in their refurbishment.

In 1991 the Pier finally closed for good, and stood empty until bought by an enthusiast in 2003, who sold his own home to raise funds for the purchase.

When work began, the outer upper half of the pavillion’s front wall had to be rebuilt, and the owner discovered that the original construction had included Expamet’s Hy-Rib metal lath."I received a call from the pier's owner, Steve, who was trying to find out if Hy-Rib was still made" explains Expamet Sales Manager Victor Camble "When he told me that they had been used in the original 1934 build I just had to see it for myself. Hy-Rib has been used in so many projects worldwide but it’s very rare that you get the opportunity to see just how well it performs, the fact that they were some of the early products and had stood up to the demands of the seaside setting was something I had to see."

Victor, who, on behalf of Expamet Building Products, has supplied Hy-Rib to major projects across the globe was astonished by the pier and by Steve’s passion for the renovation. "To be honest the Hy-Rib had performed brilliantly" continues Victor "but there were about 100 sheets that needed to be replaced and Expamet were delighted to be able to help out by donating all that was required, we even managed to dig out some of the original technical information from the 30’s and passed that on too."

Amazingly the new material meshed perfectly with the original which thrilled Steve who has been trying to make the restoration as authentic as possible." It is testament to the excellent product that it has lasted so long in such a harsh environment," he says "Although the Hy-Rib will never be seen by anyone, it is nice to be able to use the correct materials in the restoration of the building. Apart from anything else, it is proven to last at least 70 years, so it will outlive me before it needs doing again!"

Hy-Rib has been intrinsic in the construction of:

King’s Cross/St Pancreas Eurostar Terminal – UK, London Heathrow Terminal 5 Project –UK, Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) Phase 1 & 2 – UK,M60, M6 Toll Motorways – UK,Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal Milford Haven – UK,River Severn Second Crossing (Bridge) – UK,British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (Nuclear Waste Storage Facility) - Sellafield – UK,Madeira Island Airport Runway extension deck – Portugal,Second River Tagus Bridge Lisbon – Portugal, Tsing Ma Bridge - Hong Kong,Chek Lap Kok Airport, Hong Kong, Shanghai Sports Centre Shanghai – China,Underground Command Centres - Saudi Arabia,Power Stations at the Palm - Dubai UAE, Power Station and Desalination Phase Projects - Jebel Ali Dubai UAE, Liquid Petroleum Tanks Ras Laffan – Qatar, MRT Underground Railway, Singapore

To support the Victoria Pier project visit www.victoriapier.com