Magrodome and Club Lido Phases I, II, III
Phase I: June to August 1982:The Q4 Room was expanded, redecorated and renamed the Club Lido – a dual-purpose casual gathering place.
October 1982: New custom-made buffet equipment installed to enable salads and health foods to be served.
Phase II January to February 1983 - The Club galley was refitted with new equipment.
Phase III November to December 1983 - The Magrodome fitted
The MagrodomeCost: £650,000
Phase III of the $2 million Club Lido area was undertaken with the installation of the Magrodome, a retractable glazed sun roof, placed over the Quarter deck swimming pool that could be opened during warm weather or closed during inclement weather. The Magrodome telescopic glass roof, with special hatch back covers.
Specifications: The opening - 19.2 metres wide and 13.8 metres long, consisted of two pairs of electronically operated panels, the inboard of each pair being the driven panel that pulled the outboard panel to the stowage at the side. Special features of the design were the panels’ compact dimensions which totalled only 1.5 metres deep when stowed, and the heating coils attached beneath the metal members to prevent condensation. The open vista characteristic of the Magrodome with its almost 90% glass, allowed maximum visibility of the sky from relatively acute angles. The metal structure was reduced to a minimum with some of the smaller members only 200 mm wide. Average size of the glass panels was 3.3 x 1.4 metres.
Pre-installation work: The prefabricated aluminium alloy structure, was assembled and tested onshore at Bremerhaven, ready to be lifted in sections onto the ship.
Workmen had joined the ship for the Transatlantic voyage 21 to 26 November to prepare the ship for ready for the Magrodome installation. The aft end of the Club Lido was sliced away then, working to exacting specifications, the deck was prepared for the Magrodome installation.
Two days after QE2’s arrival at the yard (29 November at 12 noon), the huge Magrodome structure was slowly lifted from the yard by a powerful crane and positioned over the QE2’s deck. Once the positioning appeared exact, the Magrodome was lowered onto the liner and welded into place.
The deck area outside the Double Down Bar was substantially altered with the addition of the Magrodome. New staircases leading up to the Magrodome roof and then aft down to the Quarter deck were installed.
Forum topics:
MagrodomePoll Lido Pool and Magrodome roof -Discussion on whether it was the right move to remove the Magrodome and Lido Pool in 1994Club LidoThe second and final phase of the Club Lido interior was completed. The bar was re-positioned and a glass floor was laid with an adjacent bandstand and a new music and lighting control centre was installed. A new food and serving area was opened up and combined with the new Magrodome to create an indoor / outdoor area and nightclub, making dancing under the stars a possibility.
The whole Club Lido / Magrodome area became a ‘theatre-in-the-round’ offering activities and entertainment throughout the day: breakfast and buffet room, daytime lounge area, a disco / cabaret room at night and what had been one of the Queen’s two outdoor swimming pools and rarely usable on the North Atlantic, was transformed into a universal asset
The new décor of the Club Lido featured modern slate-gray furnishings, warm orange carpeting and recessed lighting providing the appropriate atmosphere.
Forum topic:
Q4 and Lido ClubNote: the original plans for QE2 featured a sliding roof over the Sports Deck between the funnel and mast. In order to save £27,300, as part of £1.5 million savings having to be made in December 1964, this feature was deleted from the design.
QE2 eventually received such a feature 14 years after entering service.
