Architectural Terrazzo which is locally manufactured and exported internationally by Halmann Vella Ltd, was the protagonist of the Vicalvi 'Love Terrazzo' stand at the 2020 Surface Design Show in London, the leading event for architects and designers to explore the best in surface material innovation.
The nature-infused 'Terrazzo Garden' was designed by Mizzi Studio in a way that showcases the versatility, tactile quality, and aesthetic appeal of terrazzo whilst offering an interactive space that encourages human exploration and interest.
The display featured a series of incrementally heighted terrazzo columns, with a colour scheme drawing on colour trends that are dominant in today's design and architectural world. As the columns fan outward from their lowest point at the centre, they grow taller and lighter in colour, creating a landscape of complementary chromatic gradients. The uniformity of the columns' diameter is echoed by a circular brass-inlayed pattern on the base of the installation, with glistening tones that offer a pleasant contrast against the earthy brown terrazzo.
The entire space was backed with a moss wall which amplifies the richness of the terrazzo through its tonal and material contrast. Finally, a selection of plants was placed at the edge of the terrazzo wave, housed within spherically recessed columns that function as over-sized planters.
"When we were approached to design an installation out of this timeless material, we knew we wanted to be as experimental as possible," said Mizzi Studio Director, Jonathan Mizzi. "By introducing colour, height variation and the integration of organic elements, we knew we could create something really distinctive and unexpected. We wanted to put forward not just a beautiful showpiece, but an interactive space that people felt compelled to inhabit - something that visitors would want to explore through sight, smell and touch".
The Terrazzo Garden manufactured by Halmann Vella Ltd makes use of five blocks of terrazzo, rendered in five unique colours. Each of the pre-cast terrazzo columns were created through specialist cutting and faceting of large-scale blocks in Malta, with facets being water-jetted to achieve their final smooth cylindrical appearance.
"Terrazzo tiles are an integral part of our company history as they were first crafted by my grandfather and his brother in our original plant in Mgarr back in 1954" said Hugh Vella - Director of Operations. "Architectural Terrazzo offers a solution where the unique material which is produced locally can be customized and transformed to the desired form. Being traditionally constructed using marble, quartz, glass, and granite off-cuts, terrazzo offers considerable sustainable advantages in addition to its visual and tactile quality. It was a pleasure to collaborate with industry leaders Mizzi Studio and Vicalvi and have the opportunity to showcase Architectural Terrazzo in a unique manner through this interactive Terrazzo display," added Owen Farrugia - Director of Sales and Business Management.
The Surface Design Show was held between 11 and 13 February 2020 at the Business Design Centre in London. Visit surfacedesignshow.com for more information.