Known from public buildings and waiting halls, terrazzo, the surface material originally made out of tile or glass pieces experienced its peak in the 50s. Originally invented in the antiquity, terrazzo is as popular as it was never before. From flooring to fashion accessories, the freckled surface is everywhere. Even cooler now is that there are some circular versions on the market which are made from the material which it was originally made from. Waste. I will present to you 4 beautiful, innovative and circular versions in terrazzo-style. So if you’re thinking of terrazzo for your next project, consider these options.
PLASTICIET:
The Dutch startup Plasticiet produces sheet-plastic materials, which looks like terrazzo and natural stones, just made out of recycled plastic. They collaborate with recycling companies across Netherlands and give plastic garden furniture and buckets a second life. The sheets are ideal to create furniture or anything else you can imagine and available in different colours.
URBAN TERRAZZO:
The German design collective They Feed Off Buildings, or just TFOB, developed Urban Terrazzo. An innovative material consisting of architectural debris. They use urban waste, which has been sourced from various cities, like Berlin and Prague, which define the collections. Concrete, bricks and metal will be selected and transformed it into a beautiful surface material. Therefore concrete provides the stability to the old debris. The colour comes from ground up old bricks and preserves the character of the former architecture. A very poetic approach to create a beautiful upcycled building material, which can be used for flooring, wall covering or facades.
CORCRETE:
As the name suggests Corcrete is a composite of concrete and natural cork. The German design studio Niruk used recycled cork to give the hard and cool material concrete a soft and warm touch, which makes this material special and ideal for furniture, floors and all kinds of surfaces. Available in white, grey and black.
GIOMOFLEX® naturo:
The Swiss company Uniquefloor developed Giomoflex® naturo. A seamless, elastic floor covering system with a natural terrazzo look. Instead of rubber granules, natural substances like wood, nuts, shells or seeds are used, so it is not only unique it is as well very customisable.
Title image: ©TFOB, URBAN TERRAZZO
Material Journeys 