Beginnings
Terrazzo is an art whose roots can be traced all over the world. However, modern terrazzo’s story began some 500 years ago in Venice, Italy. At the time, Venetian artisans noticed the attractiveness and variety in the colors and shapes of the extra flakes of marble slabs. They thought of mixing these simple mottled ornamental pattern flakes with an adhesive to make floors, walls, and countertops?
This work, which began with this simple idea, evolved in a few years into a vast space for creativity, which is what we know today as modern terrazzo art.
Terrazzo, the preferred material for buildings.
In 1890, terrazzo was used for the first time in the New York City, the United States, at a Vanderbilt house. This was followed by an influx of Italian immigrants to the United States in the early 20th century including highly skilled terrazzo craftsmen. By the end of World War I, terrazzo had caught up with the modern design and the new Art Deco movements, and its popularity began to grow along with modern installation techniques and better materials. It was in the early 20th century that terrazzo became the material of choice for many iconic buildings, including the Empire State Building and Radio City Music Hall.