Terrazzo art can trace its origins to Venice in the 15th century and became an architectural art form in the late 19th century. Terrazzo art originated as a flooring finish of decorative marble chips and stones set in cement.
History
Venetian artisans made use of marble waste from quarries by embedding chips into flooring and then polishing the floor to a smooth finish, according to the Public Art Squad website.
Features
Early terrazzo art featured elaborate patterns or mosaics using different size marble chips and certain rocks to add texture and color.
Architectural Marriage
Decorative terrazzo in buildings emerged in the 1870s with the advent of reinforced concrete. It was used frequently in the decades leading to the 1900s as modern skyscrapers began to emerge.
Interior Design
Much of the terrazzo art was initially limited to interior flooring, such as lobbies and entryways of large buildings, but it gained widespread use as decorative elements in exterior and interior walls.
Use of Artisans
By the early post-World War II war era, architects, particularly in Australia, employed terrazzo artisans to work on public building projects. Many artists stayed on with the architectural firms, which incorporated elements of terrazzo art in many public projects.
