Terrazzo Renewal  

From Industrial Roots to Modern Elegance: Palladiana Terrazzo Transforms NYC Lobby into Meeting Space

Photo courtesy of Michael Blackburn

Large-aggregate terrazzo with brass accents transforms this New York City lobby at Hudson Square into a dynamic meeting space.

Once a bustling manufacturing district, New York City’s Hudson Square has evolved into a vibrant hub for technology and media companies. Architecture Plus Information (A+I) in New York City was commissioned to reimagine the lobby at 225 Varick Street, an industrial structure built in 1926. The space has been beautifully transformed with large-aggregate Palladiana and Venetian terrazzo inlaid with brass accents, providing a stunning backdrop for the 12 floors of loft-style office spaces with expansive city views. Here, tenants and guests are invited to take a moment to pause amidst their busy day. “Terrazzo is at once incredibly durable, incredibly varied, and beautiful,” said Jennifer Wichtowski, an associate at A+I. "It has a timeless character but can be given a modern edge, making it highly versatile and flexible.”

Crafted from hand-fractured marble pavers, the installation elevates the aesthetic while complementing exposed columns and concrete. Remarkable artisanal craftsmanship is showcased in the textured curves of the space-defining features that demarcate lobby circulation and social space. “Rather than creating simple pass-throughs for morning and evening traffic, A+I designed productive spaces that act as social activators, enhancing the value of the buildings in which they are placed,” Ms. Wichtowski added. The precast terrazzo steps are all handmade, with book-matched marble treads and nosings. Designed to render the tread as a two-inch thick slab, the innovative installation was produced with a 3/8-inch thin-set epoxy terrazzo system. Richly textured Venetian aggregate, size one to three, is troweled between the pieces of marble.

TJ SAMSON HEALTH PAVILION: ABANDONED WALMART FINDS NEW PURPOSE AS HEALTH CENTER

Photo courtesy of David Laudadio

An abandoned Walmart was repurposed as TJ Samson Health Pavilion. Epoxy terrazzo was chosen for its versatility and low maintenance.

When a hospital sought to expand its outpatient county services, it reinvested in the community by converting a vacant Walmart building into a hub for centrally located, 24-hour healthcare services, which was transformative for the area. Terrazzo was selected for its design versatility, resilience, and ease of maintenance, which made it ideal for an antiseptic facility with continual use. Fostering an engaging atmosphere, the terrazzo patterns assist patients in wayfinding through the facility and establish comfortable enclaves for patient service. The 126,000-square-foot pavilion integrated over 26,000 square feet of epoxy terrazzo in a four-color radial pattern, finished to a high polish. Two-color atrium steps were built of poured-in-place terrazzo. The installation spans new and existing concrete slabs with existing Walker ducts. Much of the terrazzo was poured over extremely poor existing slab conditions, with extensive cracking. Epoxy and sand floor fill were used to prepare the concrete for the terrazzo installation, ensuring a durable and seamless finish. The project was led by Stengel Hill Architecture.

FAIRLANE HOTEL: EARLY-70S BANK REVIVED AS BOUTIQUE HOTEL WITH TERRAZZO WALLS AND FLOORS

Photo courtesy of Brad Hedges

Floor-to-ceiling, hand-poured terrazzo walls and retro marble blends with brass accents highlight the Fairlane Hotel’s midcentury-inspired renovation.

Built in the early 70s as a bank, this stately edifice’s midcentury architecture set the stage for retro-modern repurposing. The Fairlane Hotel opened in March 2018 as an 81-room boutique hotel in the art district that captures Nashville’s southern charm and creative energy. Sumptuous epoxy terrazzo contributes to the interior’s classic simplicity while adding value as a low-maintenance, durable floor. Distinguishing this renovation are extraordinary restrooms, where the walls are clad with luxurious floor-to-ceiling terrazzo, poured by hand, and complemented with precast cement terrazzo sinks. Poured-in-place vertical terrazzo handwork is also found on the bar front. Terrazzo replaced tile to unify the lobby’s aesthetic with its brass feature wall, original oak paneling, and massive travertine columns. Retro marble aggregate blends, clean lines, and brass accents also evoke the tones and textures of a traditional cement-based terrazzo in the café. The renovation was designed by Manuel Zeitlin Architects of Nashville and Reunion Goods & Services of New York City. The project received a 2019 Historic Preservation Award from the Metro Nashville Historic Commission and a 2020 Honor Award from the NTMA.

ADAMS COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCE CENTER: FACTORY TAKES CREATIVE SHAPE AS HOME FOR COUNTY SERVICES

Photo courtesy of David Laudadio

In an industrial structure transformed to serve as Adams County Human Services, a terrazzo tree pattern enhances wayfinding and unifies the space.

A 310,000-square-foot industrial structure built in the 1970s as a Mountain Bell telephone manufacturing center became the new home for Adams County Human Services in Westminster, Colorado. Four county services agencies were consolidated in the new facility, designed by DLR Group of Denver. A tree pattern portrayed creatively in the terrazzo floor is a central element in executing the theme of “Orchards to Innovation.” It honors the historical significance of the site: fruit orchards where community gatherings traditionally took place. Subtle color variations and aggregates provide a dappled backdrop to bold shadows from the branches above. The tree patterns indicate directions for over 500 daily visitors and help unify design elements within the large public area. Transferred from paper to the floor, the precisely drawn orchard design continues up the wall base and through the three-inch precast stairs.

IVY TECH COMMUNITY COLLEGE: HOSPITAL’S 100-YEAR-OLD TERRAZZO REVIVED IN STUDENT CENTER

Photo courtesy of Blakley Corp.

Ivy Tech Community College's student center blends restored century-old terrazzo with new epoxy terrazzo, unifying the design and reducing costs.

The restoration and expansion of Indianapolis’ long-abandoned St. Vincent’s Hospital as a new student center for Ivy Tech Community College is a highly functional convergence of old and new. Founded on the most durable elements of the hospital, the 2013 project revamped a treasured community landmark and its still-valuable historic floors.

The 250-bed hospital had served hundreds of thousands of patients in its 60 years of operations. Put together with mortar from sand from the local creek, the building’s original 1911 cornerstone was still standing.

While much of the hospital structure had to be destroyed, century-old cementitious terrazzo filling the original main entry, notably a monumental stairway, was restored. New epoxy terrazzo in complementary colors was installed in the common areas of the new sections of the completed 211,650-square-foot facility. The classic, retro design unifies old and new throughout the facility. Preservation and integration over demolition also translated to cost savings for the college.

“The project was a rare opportunity to incorporate terrazzo that old into new construction,” said John Blakley of the Blakley Corporation of Indianapolis, the NTMA contractor assigned to the project. “We didn’t redo the original terrazzo; we brought back what was there.” The original terrazzo’s natural patina and irregular colors lend the floor its well-earned character.

“You hear about old master craftsmen, but in many ways, today’s craftsmen are held to a higher standard,” said the terrazzo contractor after completing the combination of restoration and new construction work. “Old terrazzo people wouldn’t be happy to hear that, but the people who built this place have been gone for years now.”

“Terrazzo allows for a design of patterns to flow from space to space that you can’t do with other materials, and it is a hard surface with a high level of durability,” explained project architect Kevin Shelley, AIA, LEED AP, principal at Schmidt Associates in Indianapolis.

ULINE ARENA RESURRECTED FOR MIXED USE: TERRAZZO UNIFIES THE SPACE IN HISTORIC VENUE

Photo courtesy of Brycen Fischer

At Uline Arena, terrazzo flooring with an inlaid planter unifies the historic venue’s mixed-use spaces with modern industrial aesthetics.

Originally built as an ice rink, the iconic Uline Arena, with its famous barrel-vaulted concrete roof in its prime, hosted the Beatles’ first US concert and was home to professional sports teams. It fell into decay and was about to be demolished when it made several preservation lists, including the DC Preservation League’s list of “Most Endangered Places,” the Historic Preservation Review Board’s official protection list, and the National Register of Historic Places.

When developers took on the project, it was in great disrepair. Not much was left inside, and most of the roof was gone. The adjacent brick icehouse’s exterior walls were the only thing that could be saved. The rehab design team set out to honor the site’s cultural heritage and original assets. Today, the Uline site houses some 150,000 square feet of office space.

Where the arena had been open to the roof, three upper stories were created with rooftop terraces to bring in daylight. A 51,000-square-foot flagship REI store, the largest on the East Coast, opened on the ground floor in 2016. The site’s renovation as a mixed-use facility engaged the historic preservation review board and the community.

One imperative was to choose the right flooring and color palette to harmonize the various finishes and create a single identity within the project. The flooring and color palette were carefully selected as a sleek backdrop for the modern industrial look, a neutral canvas for the various design elements and multiple finishes. Epoxy terrazzo in the lobby and office corridors extends through the ice house to the arena area. Industrial elements accent a modern aesthetic with contemporary finishes. The original concrete ribs of the original roof remain, bearing the marks of graffiti.

“We didn’t want to overpower the modern industrial look with a super dynamic floor,” explained Kevin Crosby, Associate Principal at Antunovich Associates Architects. “Terrazzo provided a connecting finish throughout all the spaces, a handsome, consistent look that did it for us.”

The grand lobby connects the arena with the icehouse, where a vibrant, lush oasis inlaid in the terrazzo floor is a dynamic focal point. The design capitalizes on the unique flexibility of a poured material manufactured by hand on-site to create terrazzo shapes extending into the planting pit in varying lengths and widths. A lighter field with zinc divider strips is set in an ashlar pattern, accented by a darker border and a subtly different pop of blue glass that anchors the palette.

What’s appealing about working with terrazzo is that it offers “such a diverse palette of components and aggregates that allows you to fully customize an installation,” said Mr. Crosby. That’s also what’s toughest about working with it, he added. His advice to architects: get an idea of what look you want before you start to look at chips and colors; allow time to get samples in hand.

The Uline restoration has been a significant player in a wave of development in the NoMa (“north of Massachusetts Avenue”) neighborhood near Union Station. The project is the recipient of the 2017 Presidential Citation – Urban Catalyst Award for the Washington D.C. Chapter AIA.

MAUMUS CENTER: HISTORIC SCHOOL REINVENTED POST-KATRINA WITH MULTIPLE TERRAZZO SYSTEMS

Photo courtesy of David Laudadio

Maumus Center’s terrazzo systems, including a Milky Way Galaxy in epoxy and a sun calendar in rustic terrazzo, redefine the space.

Initially built in 1929 as the first public high school in Arabi, Louisiana, the Maumus Center building had evolved through various reincarnations, including a Red Cross shelter. In 2005, after continually serving the community, generation after generation, the New Orleans suburb’s treasured landmark was decimated by Hurricane Katrina.

Due to regulations, serving as a school was no longer an option, so the St. Bernard Parish school board settled instead on creating a science learning center with a planetarium and interactive museum to serve the entire district. In 2015, the major conversion of the historic building was completed, prolonging its lifespan while improving its functionality.

The Maumus Center project encompassed a whole gamut of terrazzo systems, providing the durability and design flexibility needed, said architect Emily Palumbo of Waggonner & Ball. That choice “allowed us to respect and complement the type of building it was,” she explained.

The design responded to existing materials while creating highly distinctive features in the center. The sun, moon, and stars are built right into the floors at the new center. Spreading wide in the lobby is a sparkling representation of the Milky Way Galaxy in epoxy terrazzo. An outdoor learning area is equipped with a functional sun calendar set in rustic terrazzo that accurately indicates time and date with a beam of sunlight through an oculus in the roof onto brass markers embedded in the floor.

This 15,800-square-foot installation in 18 colors is a captivating demonstration of the potential of terrazzo and a model of skilled craftsmanship. Various appropriately placed and scaled elements come together in a design that successfully blends simplicity with high impact.

The American Institute of Architects honored New Orleans architects Waggonner & Ball with a Merit Award for Adaptive Reuse for the project. Furthermore, the project earned an Honor Award from the National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association for the terrazzo contractor, Terrazzo Masters of Metairie, Louisiana.

COOK COUNTY HOSPITAL: 100-YEAR-OLD CEMENT TERRAZZO TILE RESTORED, MATCHED WITH POURED EPOXY

Photo courtesy of Fotografix Viken Djarferian

In Chicago's Cook County Hospital, original cement terrazzo tiles were restored, and epoxy terrazzo was poured with joints cut to replicate tiles.

Restoration began in 2018 to bring the Cook County Hospital back to life. The Chicago landmark was completed in 1916 as a 3,000-bed hospital. The building eventually fell into deterioration, officially closing in 2002. It sat vacant until 2018, when developers converted the structure into a 210-room Hyatt Hotel, with medical office space, restaurants, and other amenities, including a museum to honor the hospital’s legacy. “During our first walk-through, we were overwhelmed with the condition of the building, not to mention the damages to the floor and base,” said Steve Menconi of Menconi Terrazzo of Bensenville, IL. To celebrate and leverage the old-world beauty that remained, the old cement terrazzo tiles were restored to their original brilliance, with classic terrazzo details elegantly preserved. The terrazzo tile installations on eight floors, each with its own set of colors and design dynamics, were painstakingly replicated with 15 hand-selected colors. Notably, no divider strips were used in the original installation or the restoration. Where extensive repairs were required, epoxy terrazzo was poured in place to match the original design. After the floor was ground and grouted, the contractor cut simulated grout joints with a thin diamond saw blade to replicate the precast terrazzo tiles.

The classic terrazzo design details, including the accent borders lining the hallways, were elegantly preserved. Some 15,000 square feet of flooring and 4,500 linear feet of new cove base were installed with the specified matte finish. “This elegant lady, who had clearly been headed for a date with a wrecking ball, slowly came to a glorious rebirth under an extensive restoration and has become the jewel of Chicago’s west side,” remarked Mr. Menconi. The transformation of the Cook County Hospital was part of the Harrison Square community development plan to bring revitalized residential, retail, medical, and office spaces to the area. Designed by Chicago firms Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Koo Architecture, the LEED-certified redevelopment project won the 2020 Landmark Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award for Adaptive Use, and the terrazzo installation won an Honor Award from the National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association the same year.

CASE STUDIES: TERRAZZO IN ADAPTIVE REUSE

Photo courtesy of David Laudadio

In a former Indianapolis bottling plant, restored 1930s terrazzo in Art Deco patterns complements its transformation as Bottleworks, a boutique hotel.

Bottleworks Hotel: From Vintage to Vibrant: Restoring 1930s Terrazzo Glamour

This Art Deco gem, a former Coca-Cola bottling plant, boasts over 70,000 square feet of sand-cushion terrazzo installed by NTMA contractor Santarossa Mosaic & Tile in the 1930s and ‘50s. After decades of vacancy and a stint as a school bus station, the Indianapolis site has been transformed into an exclusive boutique hotel. The original terrazzo was seen as an asset to be leveraged to complement the new hotel’s interior design.

The terrazzo was in rough shape due to years of carpet glue, cement patching, stain removal, and damage to the historical mosaics. Terrazzo technicians collaborated with a ceramicist to replicate the original mosaics and meticulously refinished the terrazzo in the lobby, meeting rooms, guest rooms, hallways, and foyers. As the old interior walls were removed to configure the hotel, the patterns that continued from room to room had to be restored.

The restoration process included matching epoxy with cement terrazzo in 19 colors, patching, grouting, grinding, polishing, and vitrifying. Without access to the original pigment added to the cement or the aggregate chips in the old terrazzo, getting the cement color and chip ratios just right was a trial-and-error process. The artisans skillfully identified close equivalents to achieve excellent matches. Various terrazzo patterns were restored, including a bordered checkerboard in the lobby and two large terrazzo compass medallions.

Refinishing nearly 100-year-old cement terrazzo was a challenge, with no guarantees of the final appearance until grinding began. The team focused on maintaining the historical integrity of the building while carrying out the refinishing and patching. The 18-month project often required working in open-air conditions, with no walls or roof, as the building was remodeled around the crews. Crews also had to navigate restrictions while steel was installed overhead for the third floor and roof.

The redevelopment of Bottleworks District, a 2024 Americas Awards for Excellence winner with Urban Land Institute, was led by RATIO Design in Indianapolis.

Cultivating Culture: The Art of Terrazzo at Center in the Square

Photo courtesy of David Laudadio

A 1914 feed warehouse was redeveloped as Roanoke’s vibrant cultural hub, enhanced by terrazzo art floors in 70 colors.

In the early 1980s, an abandoned 1914 feed and seed warehouse in Roanoke, Virginia, was transformed into a vibrant cultural and artistic hub for the city. This adaptive reuse project of the 58,000-square-foot building preserved a piece of Roanoke’s architectural heritage and catalyzed the revitalization and development of the city’s downtown area. Center in the Square opened in 1983, providing a home under one roof for five diverse nonprofit cultural organizations and museums.

Thirty years later, the 100-year-old structure underwent significant expansion and infrastructure improvements under the direction of the local firm Spectrum Design, including installing an award-winning terrazzo floor. Terrazzo was chosen as an environmentally friendly, durable, and low-maintenance finish that enhances the functionality and aesthetic appeal of the public spaces.

The terrazzo floor, crafted by the David Allen Company of Raleigh, North Carolina, was designed to be an artistic masterpiece. Using over 70 colors and 30 different aggregates, the epoxy terrazzo was manipulated like oils on a large canvas to produce stunning artistic renderings. The floor murals blend abstract and realistic styles with varied perspectives, depicting an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly with a 66-foot wingspan perched on an iris, a railroad wheel, a series of stars, a bouquet of daisies, and a set of comedy and tragedy masks. This installation won a 2014 NTMA Honor Award, recognizing the exceptional craftsmanship and creativity involved.

Today, Center in the Square brings together a variety of museums, aquariums, and a theatre. A symbol of Roanoke’s commitment to the arts, education, and cultural diversity and expression, it is also now home to several local businesses, contributing significantly to the city’s economy annually and serving the community in multiple dimensions.

Zen and the Art of Terrazzo: Yamasaki’s Vision Revisited in Detroit’s Federal Reserve Bank

Detroit’s Federal Reserve Bank complex, designed by Minoru Yamasaki, underwent a significant transformation in 2013 after standing vacant for nearly a decade. The 176,000-square-foot property was a complex of two connected steel frame buildings in downtown Detroit’s Financial Historic District. The original marble-front Neoclassical-style bank was built in 1927, and the International-style annex in 1951. Headed into renovations, the local press dismissed Yamasaki’s eight-story International-style annex in glass and marble as “scarily drab.”

The annex was the city’s first venture into modern-era architecture and the first curtain wall structure. One of Yamasaki’s early interior/exterior designs with a plaza that became characteristic of his work, the annex was designed to be a tranquil space in the city.

Renovation plans specified a bright, open retail space on the ground floor, with eight floors of modern office space. The bank was preserved, and the International-style annex was revitalized into bright, open retail areas and contemporary office spaces. An innovative application of terrazzo plays a major part in a design that honors the architectural and historical significance of the Federal Reserve annex through the materiality and modern functionality of the present day.

Kelly Deines, IIDA LEED AP, with ROSSETTI in Detroit, led the renovation project. The design aimed to reflect Yamasaki’s ideals of surprise, serenity, and delight with a mid-century design, a rich color palette, and natural materials.

The original cement terrazzo was removed to address existing elevations in the elevator lobbies, and the substrate was leveled to install new terrazzo. Looking to expand aggregates beyond marble, Mr. Deines explored what materials could be suspended in an epoxy binder and ground down without popping out.

His innovative approach used transparent, tinted epoxy resin to allow aggregates to shine through, achieving a permanent Zen garden atmosphere that blends seamlessly with the renovated outdoor plaza. Aggregates of angular metal shavings and discs sound notes of technology and machining within natural river rock, pea gravel, and orbital marble tile. “It has a natural quality, reminiscent of Arte Povera,” he observed, literally, poor art. “Everyday materials, not necessarily rich, but when manipulated in a different context, are transformed into art. Most people don’t see it as common garden gravel and aluminum and travertine; because of the application it reaches the level of art. It’s really beautiful,” he declared.

“This experience working with terrazzo stretched our imaginations,” Mr. Deines recalled. “Terrazzo is one of many characters with so much going on in the story. It’s a great material to begin the story, to play a major role, or a stuntman. It doesn’t steal the show; it absolutely plays its role.”

The Advocate New Orleans: Car Dealership Revisioned as Newspaper Offices

Dalton Architecture created a contemporary workspace for a city newspaper while honoring the structure’s original design. With restored masonry walls and barrel-vaulted ceilings, the building was updated with sleek terrazzo floors. Originally drafted by the modernist firm Curtis & Davis (known for their design of the New Orleans Superdome), it opened in 1949 as Klein Motors’ showroom and later functioned as a Cajun dance hall.

Epoxy terrazzo sparkling with recycled crystal glass and marble aggregates is installed on a winding stairway in the renovated quarters. The lobby’s ribbon pattern in terrazzo was developed from the designer’s drawing. In the foyer, a geometric design is framed by murals of the city’s famous live oaks.

“We are very proud to restore a historic building to its splendor and make it a vibrant community center in the heart of downtown,” said John Georges, who purchased The Advocate in 2013 and dramatically expanded its New Orleans operations. “We wanted to restore the building to its mid-century era and also give the newsroom some of the character of a traditional newsroom.” The newly renovated building was the site of a New Orleans Architecture Foundation tour in 2017.

Shinola Hotel Detroit: Terrazzo in Rooftop Restaurant Honors Historic Structures

Photo courtesy of David Laudadio

Terrazzo with a retro design in a modern setting honors historic structures in Detroit’s Shinola Hotel rooftop restaurant.

This boutique resort complex in Detroit’s Woodward shopping district emerged from a complete renovation of turn-of-the-century structures—a sporting goods and hardware store and a former Singer sewing machine store—united with three new buildings modeled after the quarter’s historic architecture. The entire interior of each existing building was gutted and walls removed.

Sophisticated and elegant, a gorgeous terrazzo floor in a glass-enclosed rooftop restaurant defines the retro space without overpowering it, with its sleek zinc strip layout and winsome 1920s black-tie and top-hat vibe. Crisp and saturated, the epoxy terrazzo design is packed with narrow accent bands in varying sizes, all poured in place. Because the installation is in a solarium, enclosed with a glass ceiling and walls, the floor is sealed with an acrylic polymer sealer.

Special care was taken for the thermal expansion of the terrazzo and adequate expansion joints in collaboration with the NTMA technical director. Joints are concealed within the pattern of 3,300 linear feet of one-eighth-inch wide zinc divider strip. The NTMA acknowledged the project with a 2023 Honor Award 2023 for the Michielutti Bros. of Eastpointe, Michigan. Kraemer Design Group of Detroit and Gachot of New YorkCity designed the redevelopment.

Lexington Market Place: Urban Renewal in Manhattan with Palladiana Terrazzo Paving

Photo courtesy of Wilkstone

Manhattan's Lexington Market Place is a LEED-certified redevelopment with Scarpa-style Palladiana terrazzo, transforming a public square into a vibrant atrium.

This LEED-certified urban redevelopment project at 601 Lexington Market Place in Manhattan transformed an interior-focused public square. Adjacent to a six-story, 1970s-era office building, the light-filled atrium with its European sidewalk cafe-inspired design enlivens and updates a staid business environment.

The project’s focus is Palladiana terrazzo paving, which uses multicolor marble pieces cut by waterjet and mounted onto a mesh backing to create a stunning Scarpa-style pattern. The striking cobblestone-style installation is completed with epoxy terrazzo as mortar and zinc divider strips and polished to a muted 200-grit finish.

Meticulously planned by TPG Architecture of Manhattan, this beautifully executed design has given the plaza a charming neighborhood ambiance. It has enhanced the value of the surrounding area while expanding dining and retail options. The project contractor, Wilkstone of Paterson, New Jersey, earned a 2021 Honor Award from the NTMA for their exceptional work on this project.