Between History and Innovation with Terrazzo

Stones maintain time. Some are shaped by the sudden solidification of magma, like basalt, whose dense construction and darkish coloration end result from fast cooling on the floor. Others, akin to granite, are born slowly in deep magmatic chambers, the place gradual cooling permits the expansion of seen crystals, creating distinctive patterns and colours. There are additionally sedimentary rocks, shaped by the compaction of mineral and natural particles over thousands and thousands of years, with tones that mirror their chemical composition and the atmosphere by which they have been deposited. Reworking this geological variety right into a single steady floor, terrazzo is a cementitious or mineral composite by which fragments of marble, granite, quartz, basalt, and different lithologies are embedded in a binding matrix, then polished to disclose the construction and luster of every particle. Not like a homogeneous floor, terrazzo acts as a mineralogical showcase, the place every mixture retains its id whereas contributing to a coherent complete, which may grow to be a flooring, wall cladding, and even furnitures.

Originating in northern Italy in the course of the Renaissance, this technique has evolved over the centuries to include industrial options of excessive precision and efficiency. In its up to date utility, methods akin to PANDOMO Terrazzo Omnia enable for actual management over the colour palette and mixture granulometry — starting from micro-terrazzo to ornamental particles of as much as 32 mm — whereas providing flexibility in utility thickness, from 10 to 30 mm, and even as much as 35 mm in particular configurations. The cement-free formulation combines a pure white mineral binder with a liquid part, producing a composite of excessive floor density and memorable mechanical power, able to reaching as much as 55 N/mm² compressive power and 13 N/mm² flexural power after curing.

The fabric provides excessive abrasion resistance, categorized as AR 0.5 in line with DIN EN 13892-4, making it appropriate for giant, high-traffic indoor surfaces akin to atriums, company lobbies, buying facilities, airports, and eating places, with low shrinkage habits and minimal susceptibility to cracking. Its compatibility with each hydronic and electrical underfloor heating methods additional expands its vary of functions. Solvent-free, low-odor, and licensed for its very low emissions, the system additionally incorporates 15% recycled PU uncooked materials, aligning technical efficiency with sustainability. The brand new PANDOMO sealing system, composed of Bonding Agent and PU Prime Coat (with elective coloration intensifier), ensures chemical and mechanical resistance, stain safety, and excessive slip resistance, whereas preserving the pure character of the mineral floor.

A Seamless Assertion at Entree des Tacheles Berlin

On the entrance to Tacheles Berlin, Germany (with interiors designed by one tremendous day: workplace for architectural design in collaboration with D’artwork Design Gruppe GmbH) terrazzo is utilized throughout each architectural surfaces and customized furnishings. The ground, reception desk, and central desk share the identical steady end, establishing a unified visible and tactile language all through the area. The reception desk, with its softened edges and sculptural proportions, demonstrates the fabric’s capability to be formed three-dimensionally, reaching fluid types with out sacrificing structural integrity.

Its composition, with a light-weight mineral matrix and aggregates of various sizes and tones, provides the area a novel and unrepeatable sample, conveying charisma, irreverence, and refinement whereas revealing the complexity of the method employed. Terrazzo, polished to a mushy sheen, displays the pure gentle getting into by way of the massive glazed surfaces of the double-height area, creating delicate variations all through the day and accentuating the depth of the mineral fragments. Within the background, warm-toned picket panels introduce a tactile and chromatic counterpoint, balancing the managed coolness of the stone floor with a way of heat. The vertical rhythm of those panels, mixed with the beneficiant ceiling peak, directs the gaze and reinforces the monumental scale of the atrium, whereas the transparency of the façades establishes a direct relationship between inside and exterior, integrating the motion of the road into the inside area.

Right here, terrazzo turns into a bridge between historical past and innovation. Every mineral mixture is a fraction of geological time, embedded inside a building system of millimetric precision, the results of technological advances and intensive experimentation by the producer. On this area, that union of custom and engineering takes architectural kind, proving that supplies with centuries-old origins may be reimagined to satisfy at this time’s calls for to be used, efficiency, and aesthetics.