Client: Minneapolis Convention Center

Overview

Terrazzo and metal designs were used to create a welcoming environment for tourists and visitors of the Minneapolis Convention Center. Originally built in 1990, the venue has been renovated many times throughout the years to incorporate contemporary accents into its architecture. Located in the heart of the city, the 800,000 square foot space serves as a central location for many corporate and private events. Art concepts were developed by Alliance Architects to showcase a variety of outdoor activities that are unique to Minnesota. In the design you will see activities from fishing, cross country skiing and kayaking to hiking and bicycling. The art is permanently built into the floor, with the terrazzo cast around it. The floor renovation, which was performed by Advanced Terrazzo based in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, was installed over the course of a 1 year period. The process involved using epoxy terrazzo. All of the iconic sports depictions were fabrciated from aluminum and brass, using forms to make durable and elegant forms that were cast directly into the floor. All artistic forms and images were specified and created at CODAworx member, Creative Edge Master Shop, located in Fairfield, Iowa.

Goals

With the Minneapolis light rail and shops nearby, the convention center is a high traffic area. In addition to the many daily visitors, the facility also brings in several hundred thousand people to the wonderful shows and performances that take place there. In 2017, the facility brought in over 800,000 attendees. The goal of this project was to showcase the many activities that are unique to Minnesota to those visiting and attending shows at the center.

Process

The detailed specification of colors & stone chip "recipes" had to be carefully thought out and created by Advance Terrazzo. Because no two terrazzo designs are alike, it allows the ability to create unique spaces and color signatures for important buildings similar to the Minneapolis Convention Center. The aluminum strips for dividing terrazzo and brass detailing you see in the bike handle bars, skiis, and ores were all fabricated by Creative Edge. By incorporating metal into the design, it was used as part of the color pallette, not just to divide the terrazzo.