Swisspearl exterior cladding has been in use worldwide for almost 40 years, and has fans the world over. The following comment is from a Croatian architect who was considering using metal as a façade before turning to Swisspearl: "Swisspearl is astonishing in that it resembles metal, and isn't metal, but something in between. A rather modest material — it is just cement after all — but it offers a variety of different effects depending on whether you use Reflex or Carat panels. It is high quality and has technical advantages as well, one being its fire resistance."

Swisspearl's other technical advantages include its long lifespan and extreme resistance to heat, UV and damp, plus it has the very useful virtue of being virtually maintenance free. The panels are full body colour, and are available in a huge range of formats, colours, sizes and textures. They may be face fastened or by concealed attachment.

So far, so useful, but what really sets Swisspearl apart and makes it exciting is the potential for customisation. As well as offering custom colours, Swisspearl can be perforated to any pattern — to create a decorative feature or a light or sun screen, for example. Patterns or words can also be engraved into the panels.

The other interesting potential use for Swisspearl is the fifth façade — the roof. There are numerous ways Swisspearl can be used for roof applications, taking advantage of its sturdiness and resistance to extremes.